Premier David Eby Directs $175 Million for BC Coastal Passenger Ferry Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Retrofits

VICTORIA, B.C. — British Columbia Premier David Eby and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming announced on Monday the distribution of $175 million in provincial clean transportation capital funding through the CleanBC Marine Plan to repower eight coastal passenger and vehicle ferries with advanced lithium-titanate (LTO) battery energy storage systems and high-efficiency permanent-magnet electric propulsion azimuth thrusters.

The vessel retrofits, contracted to British Columbia shipyards in North Vancouver and Victoria, will convert eight Salish Class and Coastal Class hybrid vessels to 100 percent all-electric operational capacity, enabling silent, zero-emission sailings on high-ridership routes connecting Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast.

Cutting Marine Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Diesel Noise BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world, consuming tens of millions of litres of marine diesel annually. Converting coastal vessels to all-electric propulsion eliminates greenhouse gas emissions and reduces underwater acoustic cavitation noise that disturbs endangered Southern Resident killer whales.

"British Columbia's coastal ferries are essential public transit links that connect our island and coastal communities, and we are leading the world in clean marine transportation," Premier David Eby said at the Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria. "By investing $175 million to repower our ferries in local B.C. shipyards, we are cutting thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, eliminating diesel fumes and underwater noise, and supporting hundreds of high-paying skilled union shipyard careers right here at home."

Shipyard Retrofits and Propulsion Specifications The $175 million program includes:

• Eight Vessel Battery-Electric Conversions: Installing 10-megawatt-hour marine certified lithium-titanate battery packs engineered for ultra-fast recharging.
• High-Efficiency Azimuth Thruster Pods: Replacing conventional mechanical drive shafts with 360-degree steerable electric propulsion pods.
• Shipyard Trades Training & Apprentice Subsidies: $15 million dedicated to training 350 marine electrical technicians and high-voltage shipwrights in Victoria and Vancouver.

Shipbuilding union leaders, coastal municipal mayors, and marine conservation organizations commended the provincial funding, highlighting that local vessel retrofits revitalize domestic maritime shipbuilding capabilities.