BC Ferries is making a significant capital expenditure to acquire four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels, increasing passenger capacity and improving environmental sustainability.
The vessels, set to operate on routes connecting Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island and Campbell River to Quadra Island, aim to improve customer service, reduce crewing costs, enhance sustainability, and ensure safe and reliable coastal transportation.
By 2027, the new vessels will replace existing ones. Notable enhancements include a 20 per cent capacity increase on the Crofton to Vesuvius route and a 70% capacity boost on the Quadra to Cortes route.
Corresponding electrical upgrades for shore-based rapid charging at terminals on the specified routes form part of the project.
The initiative, which supports the fleet’s standardisation and streamlined maintenance, will receive funding from the Government of British Columbia through the monetization of low carbon fuel credits that BC Ferries will earn under the province’s Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation.
Contributing to a projected 10,000-tonne reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions, the acquisition underscores the commitment by BC Ferries to achieve its 2030 sustainability targets under the CleanBC initiative.
