Eastern Shipbuilding Group to Build Hybrid-Electric Ferries for Washington State Ferries

Florida-headquartered Eastern Shipbuilding Group has obtained Notice to Proceed from Washington State Ferries (WSF) to build two hybrid-electric ferries for the Evergreen State, with an option for an additional 160-vehicle unit.

This development is understood to follow the first competitive bid for ferry construction in more than 25 years for what is hailed as the United States’ largest ferry system.

The hybrid-electric unit will feature an overall length of around 124.8 meters, a width of 25.35 meters, a hull depth of almost 7.5 meters, and a draft of 5 meters. All units will be able to carry 160 standard passenger vehicles and 1,500 passengers.

According to David Sowers, Washington State Ferries’ Electrification Program Administrator, the vessels are going to feature ‘advanced’ technological solutions in shoreside charging as well as battery storage in order to be able to slash diesel-generated emissions and, thus, improve their environmental performance.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson selected the Panama City-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group for the construction of the ships at the beginning of July this year under a $714.5 million bid. The shipyard bid is said to be only part of the process, with an additional circa $150 million allocated for the first ferry (for the equipment, building management, WSF crew training, and risk contingencies).

This brings the cost of the inaugural unit to roughly $405 million, the second to $360 million, and the third to $325 million, per Governor Ferguson’s Office. Speaking about this development at the time, the Governor highlighted that these efforts were being made to “restore domestic service to pre-pandemic levels ahead of schedule and improve crew retention.”

Back in March, Governor Ferguson revealed that the planned hybrid-electric conversion of two of the state’s biggest ferries would be delayed until after the 2026 World Cup. However, one hybrid-electric conversion, specifically that of the Wenatchee ferry, has already been ticked as done.

The endeavor had initially been announced in August 2023, while the work on the Wenatchee began in September of that same year. The move reportedly marked WSF’s first-ever step toward electrification of the ferry system.

Other Developments

Furthermore, in July last year, WSF picked Swiss equipment provider ABB to serve as the propulsion single-source vendor (PSSV) for new hybrid electric ferries. As Offshore Energy reported at the time, the vessels are the first of sixteen new units delivered as part of WSF’s $3.98 billion Ferry System Electrification plan.

It is worth noting that, across the country, the State of New York recently unveiled its own ‘first-ever’ hybrid-electric ferry, the Harbour Charger, the building of which was finished this spring. The ferry was built by the Conrad Shipyard.