Ontario Government approves electric ferries plan

The Government of Ontario in Canada has accepted a proposal to build two road ferries with full electric propulsion.

Damen Shipyards will build a 68-metre road ferry and a 98-metre road ferry to operate in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes.

The ferries, which service the Kingston and Wolfe Island route and Millhaven and Amherst Island (Loyalist Township) route, are estimated to reduce emissions by the equivalent of seven million kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.

The capacity to transport 300 passengers and 42 cars (Amherst Island Ferry) and 399 passengers and 75 cars (Wolfe Island Ferry) at speeds up to 12 knots will remain the same as with conventional propulsion. 

They will include an automated mooring system and battery charging system.

Ferries transport about 850,000 passengers and 420,000 vehicles between Wolfe Island and Kingston each year, and 290,000 passengers and 136,000 vehicles to and from Amherst Island annually.

The ferries are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019 (Amherst) and at the end of 2020 (Wolfe).