“These vessels represent a significant advancement in our fleet renewal efforts, aligning with our strategic vision for operational excellence and sustainability," said Ed Hooper, Executive Director of Shipbuilding at BC Ferries. “The start of construction brings us one step closer to realizing the benefits these vessels will bring to our customers and the communities that rely on us to get them where they need to go.”

Key features and benefits of the new Island Class vessels include:

• Increased capacity: each vessel will accommodate nearly 47 vehicles and 400 passengers, providing greater service capacity and comfort.
• Enhanced environmental sustainability: designed to operate on renewable BC Hydro electricity, these vessels will significantly reduce their environmental footprint, supporting the Province’s CleanBC goals and bringing BC Ferries closer to their 2030 targets by reducing emissions by 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
• Improved crew deployment: the new design will streamline crew operations, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness by having similar technology and protocols across the fleet.
• Quieter ships: the updated propulsion system will reduce underwater radiated noise, ensuring quieter operations – benefiting marine life and enhancing the overall passenger experience.

“Today, the first steel plates were cut, marking the official start of production for our newest Island Class ships. These new vessels are a key component of our commitment to increasing our system capacity, enhancing our service capabilities and reducing our environmental impact,” added Hooper. “Their innovative design will also improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of our operations.”

The new Island Class vessels will serve Routes 19 (Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island) and 23 (Campbell River to Quadra Island), with plans for fleet redeployment to address capacity constraints on Routes 6 (Crofton to Vesuvius), 24 (Quadra to Cortes), and 22 (Denman to Hornby). This project will result in significant capacity increases and improved travel certainty, particularly during refit periods.

This milestone follows several key project developments, including the finalization of design specifications in March 2023, the selection of Damen Shipyards Group as the shipbuilder in June 2023, and the approval of the major capital expenditure required to construct the new vessels in September 2023.

The vessels will be based on Damen’s double-ended Island-class RoRo 8113 E3 model. Each will be capable of carrying up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers. Battery packs with a capacity of 2,000 kilowatts will supply the electricity for the power trains. Rapid recharging using renewable electricity will take place while the ferries disembark and embark their passengers and vehicles at each end. Each vessel will also have auxiliary diesel engines installed for back-up and general redundancy.
The vessels are set to begin arriving in BC in 2026.

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