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  #81  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2018, 12:57 AM
ClaytonA ClaytonA is offline
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Electric Ferries

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... the MF Ampere demonstrates ... technology ... used to replace all traditional engines on ferries operating on short crossings. The project also validates the use of ESS shore charging stations where port electrical infrastructure is weak. ... The 80-meter vessel can carry 120 cars and 360 passengers.


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... innovative design offered by Siemens AS and Corvus Energy, the port electric grid infrastructure remains virtually unchanged. Rather than installing additional electrical capacity to the ports, an onshore Corvus Energy 410kWh ESS comprised of 63 AT6500 Liquid-Cooled modules was installed on both sides of the route, each providing near instantaneous transfer of power to the vessel ESS. ...
http://corvusenergy.com/marine-project/mf-ampere-ferry/

Corvus is a Canadian company. BC Hydro is owned by the province as is BC Ferries. Seems like a great way to internalize costs using the extra Site C electricity offset. BC Ferries has explored electrification on some routes. Lots are less than 5.6km What about even Vancouver's Seabus since Vancouver has this Greenest City ambition?
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  #82  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2018, 2:32 AM
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Originally Posted by ClaytonA View Post




http://corvusenergy.com/marine-project/mf-ampere-ferry/

Corvus is a Canadian company. BC Hydro is owned by the province as is BC Ferries. Seems like a great way to internalize costs using the extra Site C electricity offset. BC Ferries has explored electrification on some routes. Lots are less than 5.6km What about even Vancouver's Seabus since Vancouver has this Greenest City ambition?
The Seabus is Translink, "Greenest City" is city of Vancouver.

I think the best fit would be for the Bowen Island Ferry.
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  #83  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2018, 4:58 PM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is offline
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The Sunshine Coast might be a good fit too.
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  #84  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2018, 11:41 PM
ClaytonA ClaytonA is offline
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Didn't the harbour ferries (False Creek) operate electrified for a while?

Another place, they said they're still having some issues with this ferry's availability in Norway. Interesting though. Expect to see hybrid (think Toyota Prius) BC ferries in the future, so they can use cheaper (smaller) engines. It sounds like that's almost all they are building in the Baltic, though with higher fuel taxes the economics might be different.
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  #85  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2018, 11:44 PM
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As an aside, the new budget reduces some ferry fares and reinstates free mid-week rides for seniors. It will be interesting to see if construction of new ships comes back to BC as well.
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  #86  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2018, 12:46 AM
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Originally Posted by ClaytonA View Post
Didn't the harbour ferries (False Creek) operate electrified for a while?

Another place, they said they're still having some issues with this ferry's availability in Norway. Interesting though. Expect to see hybrid (think Toyota Prius) BC ferries in the future, so they can use cheaper (smaller) engines. It sounds like that's almost all they are building in the Baltic, though with higher fuel taxes the economics might be different.
Hybrid uses don't really help a boat. The stop/start energy recovery is most of what happens to help a hybrid get good mileage. The cruising speed of a boat is also likely matched up to the engine's peak efficiency.

Most large motors are also setup as a diesel/electric combo, where the diesel is just a generator and the electric motors do the work, so by default boats and trains are already similar to a hybrid car.
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  #87  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2018, 3:00 AM
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As an aside, the new budget reduces some ferry fares and reinstates free mid-week rides for seniors. It will be interesting to see if construction of new ships comes back to BC as well.
I was told the key reason many of these have gone off-shore is Seaspan drydocks are occupied by the military and coast guard contracts.
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  #88  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2018, 9:44 PM
ClaytonA ClaytonA is offline
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Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon View Post
Hybrid uses don't really help a boat. The stop/start energy recovery is most of what happens to help a hybrid get good mileage. The cruising speed of a boat is also likely matched up to the engine's peak efficiency.

Most large motors are also setup as a diesel/electric combo, where the diesel is just a generator and the electric motors do the work, so by default boats and trains are already similar to a hybrid car.
So given that using electricity is much cheaper than diesel, and already owned by another branch of the government, couldn't the battery portion be sized either:

1. for the cruising speed with the diesel engine kicking in only leaving the dock

2. as an assist to the diesel engine generating electricity (diesel-electric engine) only when leaving the dock


Note: "All-electric ferry cuts emission by 95% and costs by 80%, brings in 53 additional orders"

https://electrek.co/2018/02/03/all-e...emission-cost/

This 2015 blog post outlines a possible eight routes: https://www.bcsea.org/could-bcs-futu...es-be-electric

There's speculation that diesel costs might be headed up medium term with IMO 2020 rules too. LNG conversions also require bigger capital upgrades. LNG prices could also be higher 2020/2023 with LNG export terminal in BC making dirt cheap stranded AECO nat gas quintuple in price. Apparently the MV Tachek and Salish class are already hybrid.

I imagine the upfront capital cost is higher both for the ferry and for the onshore electrical changes offsetting much of the 80% lower operating costs just as it is with diesel transit buses.

The other negative is less ability to shuffle ferries around as easily to different routes per a CBC article.
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  #89  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2018, 9:49 PM
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Anyone ridden on the new ferry yet?

IIRC these new ferries are on Powell River to Comox and Salts Spring to Tsawassen.
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  #90  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2018, 9:53 PM
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5 more new vessels on the way 2020-2022

http://www.cruiseandferry.net/articl...senger-ferries
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  #91  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2018, 10:14 PM
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Anyone ridden on the new ferry yet?

IIRC these new ferries are on Powell River to Comox and Salts Spring to Tsawassen.
Ya, I take the Saltspring one pretty frequently, they're ok.

The whole sealing off the lower floor thing is beyond a drag though.
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  #92  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2018, 3:06 AM
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Note: "All-electric ferry cuts emission by 95% and costs by 80%, brings in 53 additional orders"

https://electrek.co/2018/02/03/all-e...emission-cost/
That's really quite interesting, and I have little doubt that it's the way of the future as battery costs continue to drop.

But the current solution requires a lot of shore infrastructure in addition to the ferries themselves, and my guess is that right now the cost equation is a little too expensive on the capital cost side for BC Ferries to swallow. And it probably doesn't help that it reduces their flexibility - in a pinch the electric ferries wouldn't be able to be swapped into a route that doesn't have the shore infrastructure.

Perhaps in the next or subsequent rounds of ferry purchases...?
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  #93  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2018, 3:43 AM
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Anyone ridden on the new ferry yet?

IIRC these new ferries are on Powell River to Comox and Salts Spring to Tsawassen.
Yep, I've taken them to Pender Island from Tsawassen before. much less seating than the old Queen of Nanaimo.
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  #94  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2019, 5:02 PM
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Off-peak sailing discounts coming for major BC Ferries routes

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A ride on BC Ferries routes between the mainland and Vancouver Island on a long weekend or other busy time will often include multiple sailing waits and long lines. The ferry system is beyond capacity during those times, and it can drive up passenger frustration.

In an effort to reduce that pressure on the ferry system, BC Ferries is planning to remove reservation fees for certain sailings.

According to spokesperson Deborah Marshall, the hope is people will choose to travel when there's plenty of space on the ships.

"What we're looking at is offering discounts at off-peak times and the idea behind that would be to shift some of the discretionary traffic," said Marshall.

Marshall said the changes will only come to the three major routes between the mainland and Vancouver Island: Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay; Horsehoe Bay to Nanaimo; and Tsawwassen to Nanaimo,

She said walk-on passengers and people who arrive without reservations won't notice any difference — only people making off-peak reservations.

According to Marshall, the specific details will be revealed in the coming months, and BC Ferries is aiming to roll out the changes in the fall.
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  #95  
Old Posted Sep 25, 2019, 11:12 PM
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BC Ferries launching first wave of hybrid electric vessels

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BC Ferries passengers travelling on shorter island routes could be riding on hybrid electric boats as early as next year.

The six new vessels, known as Island Class ferries, use diesel fuel to generate electricity that is stored in batteries on board and they are all expected to be in operation by 2022, with the first two expected to be in service in 2020.

The first two boats to launch will run between Powell River and Texada Island and from Port McNeill to Alert Bay and Malcolm Island. The next four will be in the water by 2022 and will run between Campbell River and Quadra Island and between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island.

According to BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins, the boats are just the beginning of a long-term plan to have the company's entire fleet powered by electricity, including the longer routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

"They're designed to go full electric when the shore infrastructure permits," said Collins in a phone interview with CBC's On The Island Tuesday.

"Perhaps a better way to look at them is to say these are all electric ferries in which we have temporarily installed a hybrid system," he said.

Collins said BC Ferries is working with BC Hydro to determine the best way to install charging equipment at terminals, so eventually the vessels can plug in and recharge between runs.

"There's no standard technology out there as of yet for this kind of plug-in technology. So, we're studying that closely and seeing which way this will go," said Collins.

And Collins doesn't think it will happen quickly, especially on the routes with the biggest ships, such as between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay.

"I do need to caution that is still some years down the road, because much of the shore infrastructure is not in place for that scale yet," he said. "But the real win for us is reducing the emissions from our ships."

Collins said BC Ferries has invested more than $500 million in low-carbon technologies in the past five years and is aiming for a future where the company has a net zero carbon footprint.
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  #96  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2019, 9:26 AM
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BC Ferries orders [More] 4 new hybrid-electric vessels from Europe for $200 million
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...amen-shipyards

BC Ferries' first two hybrid-electric vessels begin their trip from Europe
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...ssels-delivery


BC Ferries' first two Island Class hybrid-electric vessels loaded onto the Sun Rise for delivery from Romania to BC on November 20, 2019. (BC Ferries)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...ssels-delivery


Artistic rendering of BC Ferries’ Island Class vessels. (BC Ferries)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...amen-shipyards


One of BC Ferries’ first Island Class hybrid-electric vessels. (BC Ferries)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...ssels-delivery

Video Link
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  #97  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2019, 1:30 PM
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Very cool! Looking forward to the C-Class replacement program which is next, my guess is that they'll also be European built-designed and be hybrid-electric.
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  #98  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2019, 4:16 PM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is offline
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And news on the followup plans to actually install electric charging at the terminals? Can't wait to see these and bigger ones in active service.
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  #99  
Old Posted Jan 20, 2020, 8:53 AM
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So far they are not named.

BC Ferries' first new hybrid-electric vessels arrive from Europe (VIDEO)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...ic-ships-video


BC Ferries' first new Island Class hybrid-electric vessels arrived in Victoria on January 18, 2020. (BC Ferries)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-f...ic-ships-video
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  #100  
Old Posted Feb 3, 2020, 2:41 AM
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British Columbians invited to weigh in on future of coastal ferry service

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B.C. residents who live or frequent the province’s coast are invited to chime in on the future of coastal ferry service.

The provincial government will soon put together a plan for investments in B.C.’s coastal ferry system over the coming decades and are seeking public opinions on what needs to be considered.

“Significant investments are being made in ferry infrastructure, with decisions being made today defining the service long into the future,” said Transportation Minister Claire Trevena. “We’re asking people what the coastal ferry service could look like in 20, 30 or 40 years, and how services should be delivered to better support people and families who live and work on our coast.”

B.C. coastal ferry service has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, with a large focus on transporting vehicles and vehicle passengers. While ships and terminals are renewed, the province want to hear whether British Columbians feel that the focus of ferry travel should still cater to vehicles as it has in the past.

“Transportation needs are changing, and coastal ferries should also evolve. We want to ensure we have a system in place that is adaptable, dependable and convenient,” said Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA for Courtenay-Comox.

To date, the province has held several pre-engagement forums to discuss ideas and suggestions. Some 130 people shared their ideas across seven meetings on four major components: supporting the efficient travel of people and goods, be equitable and accessible, mitigate and be responsive to climate change, and reflect the value of coastal communities.

Those hoping to offer opinions have until March 20, 2020. You can share your views online at engage.gov.bc.ca/coastalferries
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