Electrification News

The San Francisco Bay Ferry announced on Thursday that it has received a $12.5 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to establish a zero-emission, battery-electric ferry service at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal in Alameda.This funding will significantly enhance SF Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission-Free Ferry (REEF) Program, aimed at transitioning the agency’s fleet to zero-emission propulsion. The grant, part of CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)…

Kitsap Transit has been awarded $1.2 million to design an all-electric, zero-emission fast ferry demonstration vessel and its accompanying shoreside charging infrastructure, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced. This funding complements a previous $4 million grant from the state legislature aimed at developing a scaled-down version of the 150-passenger Foil Ferry, engineered by Glosten and Bieker Boats, which is intended to validate the technology's viability for future operations on Puget Sound.The $4 million grant will become available on January 1…

San Francisco Bay Ferry has been awarded a $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support the agency’s plans to procure the nation’s first high-speed battery electric ferries.The award—announced by the FTA on Monday as one of 18 new ferry grants totaling nearly $300 million—advances Phase 1 of SF Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission-Free Ferry (REEF) Program, a suite of projects to transition the agency’s fleet to zero-emission propulsion technology.

Marine towage provider Svitzer announced it has inked a deal Turkish shipbuilder Uzmar to build a world-first battery-methanol tug for scheduled delivery in the second half of 2025.Designed in collaboration with naval architect Robert Allan Ltd, the first-of-its-kind tug will be based on Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tug design and feature a 6MWh battery supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.The 34.9-meter escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than…

DNV has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its cutting-edge electric propulsion liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) carrier design, which has the potential to store and transport up to 80,000 cubic meters of LH₂. The approval is a key achievement in a collaborative effort involving major industry players: HD KSOE, Woodside Energy, Hyundai Glovis, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). Together, these companies are working to create…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT announced it has teamed up with Canadian ferry transportation company Greenline Marine to develop a new all-electric ferry design.The new 32-meter Greenline 150 Passenger Electric Ferry is equipped with the latest in electric propulsion technology and features an optimized hull form and propulsion system, with hull, propellers and rudders engineered to reduce the energy required for movement. This focus on efficiency directly…

VITA Power announced it has delivered all-electric Vita Seal rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the City of Newport Beach, marking the electric marine technology company's first sale to a public agency.The RIB will join the Harbor Department’s existing fleet of three boats and assist with patrols and towing and pushing vessels that need assistance or have broken away from moorings.According to VITA Power, its Vita Seal is suited for marine-based industries and harbor patrol law enforcement agencies, offering up to 10 hours of continuous operation at reduced speeds.

Eleven ports in Washington have been awarded a total of $26.5 million to electrify their operations, a move aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions by over 140,000 metric tons over the next decade. This funding marks the inaugural round of grants from the Port Electrification Grant Program, established by the Legislature in 2023 and financed through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.The grant program, which was open to all 75 public ports in the state, is part of a broader initiative to tackle carbon emissions in the transportation sector…

Brabo, a provider of pilot and port services in Antwerp, Belgium, has entered into a deal with maritime technology firm Artemis Technologies to add an Artemis EF-12 Pilot boat to its fleet. This cutting-edge, fully electric foiling vessel is set to be delivered in late summer 2025.Engineered with feedback from pilotage professionals worldwide, the Artemis EF-12 complies with ES-TRIN standards (European Standard for Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels).With its 100% electric operation…

Marine News spoke to leaders at three North American naval architecture and marine engineering firms about some of the latest trends impacting their business today. Morgan Fanberg, CEO, Glosten; Robert Ekse, President, Elliott Bay Design Group; and Wade Carson, CEO, Vard Marine, weigh in on topics ranging from digitalization and decarbonization to the naval architect talent pool.How are advances in digitalization and AI impacting the naval architecture business today? How will…

San Francisco’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), operator of the San Francisco Bay Ferry system, is moving forward with plans to introduce the United States' first fleet of zero-emission, high-speed, battery electric ferries, this week unveiling design renderings and announcing a battery systems supplier.The newbuilds, to be procured as part of SF Bay Ferry's Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) Ferry Program, include two 400-passenger vessels that will operate…

U.K.-based Artemis Technologies is opening its first U.S. office in response to "significant interest" for its electric, hydrofoiling vessels in North America, the company announced.The new office in New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard will serve as Artemis Technologies' central hub for its North American operations and positions the company to better serve its U.S. customers and collaborate with local partners, it said.David Tyler, Co-Founder of Artemis Technologies said, "The maritime industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards more sustainable operations…

The all-electric tugboat HaiSea Wamis is the first of HaiSea Marine’s five new eco-friendly tugs to travel from North Vancouver to the company's base of operations in Kitimat.A team of eight Haisla members piloted the HaiSea Wamis home, marking a milestone for HaiSea Marine, a partnership primarily owned by the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC. This occasion was a family affair for the Ross family, spanning three generations: Ed Ross, a deckhand for HaiSea Marine, his stepson Craig Windsor…

Germany-based cruise operator Phoenix Reisen has retrofitted its 205-meter, 835-passenger capacity ship MS Amera with ABB’s DC technology to improve the vessel’s efficiency and lower its emissions during port calls.The vessel is now equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid power system platform and shore connection.Following commissioning and sea trials, Amera has become the first cruise ship retrofitted with Onboard DC Grid.The project involved the replacement of the vessel’s AC system with modern DC technology.

An electric propulsion system conversion kit developed by power transmission technology company Twin Disc and distributor partner Palmer Johnson Power Systems has been approved by the California Air & Resources Board (CARB) under the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).The CORE incentive program aims to encourage California off-road equipment users to purchase or lease currently commercialized zero-emission off-road equipment by offsetting the higher cost…

Ottomotive Tech has joined the global community of maritime battery enablers, the Maritime Battery Forum.Founded in 2021, Ottomotive Tech gives support for products, engineering and consultancy in different sectors such as maritime, automotive, telecommunication and energy storage systems. The company’s expertise comprises of system engineering from scratch to pre-serial production, followed by production, test, homologation and delivery processes of requested products. Their…

Angel Island Tiburon Ferry (AITF), in California, has tapped New-Zealand-based EV Maritime to design a plug-in hybrid electric vessel for its fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area. The project, which will also see the electrification of two existing AITF vessels, has been funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The hybrid ferry will be designed and engineered by EV Maritime with electrical integration provided by ZeroMar, a local company in the Bay Area.“This new vessel will be plug-in hybrid…

Canadian shipbuilder AF Theriault & Son Ltd. announced it is teaming up with New-Zealand-based electric ferry design and technology company EV Maritime in hopes of securing a contract to build a series of electric ferries serving the community of Bedford, Nova Scotia.This partnership has been formed in relation to Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) upcoming procurement for five new ferries for scheduled delivery in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. The entire project is estimated at CAD$258.7 million and will include ferries…

Crowley on Tuesday christened its new vessel, eWolf, the first all-electric ship assist tugboat in the United States.Set to enter commercial service at the Port of San Diego this week, the 82-foot tug was built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders and designed by Crowley’s engineering services team to operate on full electric power, producing zero carbon emissions and 70-ton bollard pull strength.“The eWolf is a historic milestone in the maritime industry and Crowley’s legacy and underscores our company’s commitment to serve as global sustainability leaders and innovators…

Technology group Wärtsilä has secured a contract to supply the electrical systems needed to convert two Scandlines ferries to a plug-in hybrid solution.The ferries operate on the Puttgarden, Germany – Rödby, Denmark route, and the conversion represents a key element in Scandlines’ target to achieve emission-free operations on the route by 2030.The two Scandlines Ro-Ro ferries selected for conversion to plug-in hybrid operation are the 142 metres-long ‘Deutschland’ and ‘Schleswig-Holstein’.The project involves replacing an engine and existing systems with a new shore-charged electrical system…

Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowley’s new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmental…

A new environmentally friendly electric ferry service is planned to launch in Halifax, Canada.The province of Nova Scotia, along with the federal government and Halifax Regional Municipality, announced on March 4 a joint investment to build the Mill Cove Ferry Service, which will include five fully electric ferries, two terminals and a maintenance facility. All-electric propulsion, which slashes vessel emissions, noise and vibration, has been taking off in the ferry industry as the operational profile for these vessels—often including frequent…

A third electric-powered tug built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkiye has arrived in Vancouver, Canada, to join HaiSea Marine’s fleet.HaiSea Brave will work in Vancouver alongside its sisters HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Wee'git before all three – along with two Sanmar-built liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tugs – are transferred to LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.Based on the ElectRA 2800 SX design by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, HaiSea Brave…