Kitsap Transit and partners to design high-speed electric passenger ferry
A Washington State team working to accelerate ferry technology through a joint innovation project approach has been selected for funding that was announced this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration. Kitsap Transit received word that they are one of 25 transits authorities nationwide that will receive a share of approximately $14 million in funding through the Accelerating Innovative Mobility initiative. The public-private partnership team is being led by Washington Maritime Blue to advance the innovative fast foil ferry design and the business case for sustainable operations.
The FTA will provide $372,910 in funding as part of the Accelerating Innovative Mobility initiative. The project advances work led by Washington Maritime Blue, in which regional companies, public agencies, and nonprofits are developing state-of-the-art technology to support this region as a center of maritime excellence. Cash contributions of $100,000 were committed by the Ports of Bellingham, Skagit County, and Anacortes. An additional $139,000 of in-kind contributions are committed by key project partners. The funding for this public-private partnership will complete the preliminary design for a high-speed passenger ferry powered by battery-electric, low-emission technology. The state-of-the-art hydrofoil design will rely on lightweight carbon fiber construction and batteries to speed up travel between urban centers and suburban and rural communities and significantly reduce or eliminate fuel use compared to conventional fast ferries.
“Our three local Ports see this innovation as an opportunity to spur economic recovery in the boatbuilding world, a critically important industry in our region,” said Patsy Martin, Executive Director of the Port of Skagit. “There are strong maritime industry clusters in each of our districts that could benefit from the design and construction of these vessels in our communities, resulting in a direct economic impact.”
Leading this collaborative public-private partnership is Washington Maritime Blue, a strategic alliance formed to foster maritime innovation and sustainability in support of an inclusive blue economy. “This formal Joint Innovation Program supports multiple communities, our sensitive marine ecosystem, decarbonization efforts, job creation and an entire maritime and advanced manufacturing supply chain,” says Joshua Berger, Governor Jay Inslee’s Maritime Sector Lead, Founder and Board Chair of Washington Maritime Blue. “This is the value of an organized innovation cluster that can bring partners together and leverage multiple funding and financing mechanisms to advance our shared vision,” said Berger.
Program partners include:
- Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten, the Seattle-based firm that designed Kitsap Transit’s M/V Waterman, the first hybrid-electric passenger ferry to operate commercial service on the Puget Sound. Waterman operates on Kitsap Transit’s Port Orchard-Bremerton route.
- Anacortes-based Bieker Boats, whose principal Paul Bieker is well known for the structural design of the hydrofoils for the America’s Cup-winning Team Oracle as well as the foils for the Rich Passage-class fast ferries that operate Kitsap Transit’s Bremerton-Seattle route.
- DNV GL, an independent advisor to the maritime and energy industries, is providing technical expertise on routing, permitting, shoreside infrastructure, economic and environmental impact modelling, and business case development.
- Public sector stakeholders include the Port of Anacortes, Port of Bellingham and Port of Skagit as well as Kitsap Transit, Tacoma Power, Skagit County and the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County.
The project will deliver the design for a zero-emission, high-speed passenger ferry for operation in the Puget Sound. It will also deliver a business model, which will include studies of route viability, shoreside infrastructure requirements, permitting and regulatory requirements, and economic and environmental impacts. The foil ferry will be designed by Bieker Boats and Glosten and include options for fully electric propulsion or diesel-electric propulsion for extended range. The diesel-electric option could be two to three times more fuel efficient than conventional fast ferries and save 1,500 tons of carbon-dioxide annually. The project also will explore required infrastructure, environmental benefits and impacts, regulatory and permitting needs and possible routes and operators.
The Accelerating Mobility Initiative (AIM) supports innovators testing nationwide approaches that will benefit other public transportation providers and passengers. “We are pleased to collaborate with these grant recipients to develop new service methods to improve safety, increase access, develop more efficient operations, and enhance the transit experience for all,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams in a statement.
“I was excited to receive the news in a phone call directly from FTA Deputy Administrator Jane Williams,” said Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson. “We are thrilled to be part of this innovative project.”
Kitsap Transit currently operates three hydrofoil-assisted fast ferries – Rich Passage 1, Reliance and Lady Swift– that run on conventional diesel fuel. Each of the 118-passenger ferries utilizes a hydrofoil that helps raise much of the vessel’s hull above the waterline, enabling high-speed, low-wake performance on the Bremerton-Seattle route.
The designers of the new battery-electric hydrofoil fast ferry have the opportunity to compare the performance of the prototype vessel to Kitsap Transit’s fast ferries.
About Kitsap Transit
Kitsap Transit has been operating friendly, convenient public transit since 1983. The transit agency for Kitsap County carried more than 3.8 million riders in 2018 across a multi-modal system of routed buses, passenger ferries, paratransit shuttles, vanpools, and worker/driver buses for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Kitsap Transit is certified to ISO 14001:2015, a globally recognized standard for environmental management.
Washington Maritime Blue
Washington Maritime Blue is a non-profit, strategic alliance formed to accelerate innovation and sustainability in support of an inclusive blue economy. With a mission to implement Washington State’s Strategy for the Blue Economy delivered by Governor Jay Inslee’s Maritime Innovation Advisory Council, we are a partnership between industry, public sector, research & training institutions, and community organizations. Maritime Blue works to create a world-class, thriving, equitable and sustainable maritime and ocean industry through knowledge sharing, joint innovation, entrepreneurship, commercialization, business and workforce development.
Glosten
Glosten is a full-service consulting firm of naval architects and marine, electrical, production, and ocean engineers. Founded in 1958, now operating in Seattle, Washington and Providence, Rhode Island, the firm is recognized throughout the marine industry for integrating advanced analysis with practical, experience-based design. In recent years, Glosten has emerged as an industry leader in the design of hybrid and electric-propelled commercial vessels, with two such vessels already in operation. The firm’s electrically powered designs include both catamarans and monohulls, ranging from 70 to 160 feet in length.
Bieker Boats
Bieker Boats was founded in the commercial naval architecture world; however it has spent most of its time working in the world of high performance carbon fiber composite racing boats. Over the past 8 years Bieker Boats has played a significant role in the evolution and refinement of hydrofoiling carbon fiber racing sailboats for the Americas Cup competition.
DNV GL
Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV GL helps tackle the challenges and global transformations facing its customers and the world today. DNV GL is an independent expert in risk management and quality assurance, operating in more than 100 countries. DNV GL provides classification, technical assurance, software, and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, energy, and oil & gas industries, as well as certification and supply chain services across a wide range of businesses. Whether assessing a new ship design, optimizing a wind farm's performance, analyzing sensor data from a gas pipeline, or certifying a food company's supply chain, DNV GL enables its customers and stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence.
