On 22nd May, Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania launched the latest ‘Island’ class ferry under construction for BC Ferries.
Upon her delivery, the vessel, a Damen RoRo 8117 E3 type, will become the seventh Damen-built vessel to operate in the Canadian organisation’s fleet.
She is the first in an series of four battery-equipped diesel-hybrid vessels that will bring the total number of Damen vessels in the BC Ferries fleet to 10.
The ferries will be capable of operating exclusively on electric power once charging infrastructure is in place at the terminals.
They will service four coastal communities in British Columbia, operating between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island and Campbell River and Quadra Island, respectively.
The vessels will transport up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers, recharging their batteries during passenger (dis)embarkation using renewable energy.
Week 21 saw quite some activity at the yard, said Executive Director Global Sales, Leo Postma.
“As well as the launch of the seventh vessel, the next day, on the 23rd, the yard also carried out the keel laying for the ninth ‘Island’ class vessel, and cut steel for the 10th.
“It’s great to see the projects making progress in this way, with so many milestone moments taking place simultaneously. We’re all looking forward to the further development of these sustainable ferries in the coming months,” he said.
BC Ferries’ Executive Director of Shipbuilding, Ed Hooper, joined the onsite team to mark these milestones, personally welding the coin during the keel-laying and joining the celebrations for the steel cutting and launch milestones.
“I’m thrilled to celebrate these milestones with the team at Damen Shipyards Galati,” he said.
“The ‘Island’ class is now our largest single class of vessels, and they’re a critical part of our larger effort to renew and modernise our entire fleet to meet the needs of the people in British Columbia who rely on BC Ferries every single day.”
As well as the vessels themselves, Damen will supply onshore charging equipment to BC Ferries.
In addition, following their delivery in 2027, Damen will continue to provide support for the ferries from its Canadian service hub located in Victoria (BC).
