Clearer air and quieter waters for British Columbia

Four 172-meter ‘New Major Vessels’ will be among the biggest double-ended ferries ever built when they join one of the largest and busiest ferry networks in the world in 2029-2030. The new quartet will replace four older ships as part of British Columbia Ferry Services year-round network along 25 routes connecting 47 terminals, which move around 9.7 million vehicles and 22.7 million passengers each year1.

With British Columbia’s population forecast to grow 44 percent2 by 2046, demand for BC Ferries services should increase substantially over the coming two decades. The ferry operator has already replaced 10 ships across its fleet since 2014, with eight more on the way in the next five years.

The New Major Vessels represent an important step in strengthening long-term service reliability by replacing ageing tonnage with ships designed for today’s traffic levels and future operational demands. The New Major Vessels will serve routes across the Strait of Georgia, providing a vital link between Vancouver Island and the lower mainland of Canada. With no road bridge connections in place, the 2,100-passenger plus 360-vehicle capacity vessels will become part of the vital service infrastructure on which the island’s population, commuters and visitors rely – for groceries, fuel and commercial goods, as well as for moving between communities.

Expected to remain in service for around 45 years, these new ships must be ‘built-to-last’ in ways that are measurable against more than one criterion. They will feature fuel-efficient, low- emission hybrid-electric power and propulsion in the first instance, for example, but have also been designed to accommodate an upgrade to zero-exhaust-emission, all-electric operations later on once charging infrastructure becomes available.

Bigger, cleaner and quieter 

The province of British Columbia has set a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction target for the transportation sector3 of at least 27 percent by 2030, from a 2007 baseline, moving toward an 80 percent reduction and a target for net zero by 2050. The NMV project – including the future conversion - wholly aligns with these aims, which must be delivered without compromising the long-term safety and reliability of essential ferry services. Balancing environmental performance with day‑to‑day operational reality is particularly important in a ferry system that operates at high utilisation and under demanding coastal conditions. That balance is well understood at a local level, according to Timo Vesala, Local Business Line Sales Manager, ABB’s Marine & Ports division, who is based in British Columbia and a regular user of the ferry network.

“Living and working on the coast, and using these ferry routes regularly, we experience BC Ferries as essential infrastructure rather than simply a mode of transport. With the fleet operating at high utilization and with limited relief tonnage available, reliability becomes critical when vessels are taken out of service – particularly as many ships have been operating for decades in demanding conditions. From a local perspective, the New Major Vessels represent an important step in strengthening long-term service reliability by replacing ageing tonnage with ships designed for today’s traffic levels and future operational demands. At the same time, the focus on cleaner propulsion, lower underwater noise and a pathway to full electrification demonstrates that reliability and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand, rather than competing priorities.” Vesala explains.

Balancing environmental performance with day‑to‑day operational reality is particularly important in a ferry system that operates at high utilisation and under demanding coastal conditions. 
For initial operations, BC Ferries has specified a hybrid propulsion solution from ABB, with main generators able to run on bio-derived diesel, supplemented by a 10-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS). Supporting efficient power management, surplus energy from crossings stored in the battery can also be used to assist critical maneuvers. The ships’ future conversion is factored in to accommodate a 70 MWh BESS capable of sustaining  all-electric operations. Very much at the top end of current ‘future‑proof platform’ design, shipboard plant of this scale will have to wait for sufficient shore-charging infrastructure to become available.

Serving human needs must also be weighed up against the impact ferry services have on other parts of the environment. Making the crossing between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland takes in iconic views of coastal mountains, dense forests, and deep waters whose biodiversity includes endangered Southern Resident killer whales, seals and more than 250 identified species of fish.

Regulators in the region are fully aware of the impact commercial shipping has on marine mammals, with vessels required to stay 200 meters away from killer whales under Fisheries Act and Marine Mammal Regulations4, steer around Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or keep speeds to 10 knots if transit is unavoidable. Underwater radiated noise (URN) is also disruptive to marine species, with vessel-generated acoustic disturbances identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as one of four key threats to the killer whales whose migrating paths cross the same narrow waterways as BC Ferries’ ships.

BC Ferries has been among shipping’s first movers when it comes to noise measurement setting targets for a fleetwide reduction in URN as long as a decade ago5. Its mature thinking on URN has therefore been incorporated into clear NMV program goals from the outset: to achieve cleaner, quieter operations in the Strait of Georgia using higher capacity ships that would also have capacity for greater use of electrification.

Systematic responsibility

Balancing requirements for 45 years of service resilience and efficiency with changing power needs and URN requirements called for new solutions. These challenges were addressed and solved through the project.

The project includes several ‘industry firsts’. It is ABB’s biggest ever order to date for a series of Azipod® propulsion units for ferries, and the largest ship installation of the ABB Onboard DC Grid™ ‘electric backbone’ to balance multiple energy sources and deliver stable, resilient and responsive hybrid operations in variable weather and sea states.

However, Palemia Field, Ferries Segment Manager, Marine & Ports, prefers to focus on the way the project has “met the engineering challenges of serving the full range of requirements for the conditions and circumstances that these ships operate in now and what they will need to do in future”.

Matching propulsion technology, power architecture, and maneuvering capabilities to the owner’s capacity, route, turnaround and schedule realities are key requirements. However, ABB’s ability to meet these must accommodate both the initial and ultimate systems, Field observes.

The project met the engineering challenges of serving the full range of requirements for the conditions and circumstances that these ships operate in now and what they will need to do in future.
“Of course, efficiency and minimizing conversion losses from the energy sources to propulsion, redundancy, and maintaining precise maneuverability are critical. With 90-120 minutes between arrival and departure, BC Ferries ships operate more like small ocean-going ships than harbor commuter ferries, sailing through strong winds, winter storms, tidal currents and fog banks, as well as in narrow harbor approaches.

“We must offer solutions that minimize emissions immediately on delivery and build-in sustainability for tomorrow, for ships which need to work in harmony with surrounding species throughout their lifetime,” Field adds.

Petter Öhman, Global Sales Manager, Propulsion Solutions at Marine & Ports explains that ABB’s integrated package, built around Azipod® electric propulsion and Onboard DC Grid™, maximizing energy efficiency from day one while also minimizing emissions and underwater radiated noise (URN). As well as incorporating ABB digital solutions on board to track energy use and emissions in real time, special attention had been paid to reducing electromagnetic noise as part of the installation.

The gearless design is proven to cut URN when compared to mechanical thrusters, while the Azipod® units’ propellers are specifically engineered to minimize underwater noise. “ABB highlighted this as a differentiator that can help to minimize impacts on at-risk whales,” says Öhman.

Forward-looking risk management

Delivery on risk management is a must, especially where engineers must meet a range of challenges, and those challenges change over time, Öhman adds. In confined waters, the maneuverability available to Azipod® technology’s 360° steerable vectoring and high thrust at low speeds comes into its own, while its gearless design also enhances reliability in harsh conditions.

“Azipod® propulsion has proven its resilience even in the most challenging conditions, for example as the leading technology for ice-going offshore vessels. Its adoption can be considered as a risk‑reduction measure to ensure safety and running on schedule,” says Öhman.

The focus on cleaner propulsion, lower underwater noise and a pathway to full electrification demonstrates that reliability and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

“We’re managing risk and compliance across sub‑suppliers and aligning with constraints from the vessel designer and builder – including delivery phasing – while we also need to de-risk the owner’s path to a fully electric, zero‑emission service for the scale-up of the shore charging infrastructure,” comments Ezgican Koseoglu, Global Sales Support Manager, New Builds, Marine & Ports.

As well as high efficiency hybrid performance now, BC Ferries sought a clear path to full electric later served by highcapacity batteries and fast-charging shore power to support rapid port turnaround.

ABB’s wider group expertise in power electronics has also been apparent in the BC Ferries project is concerned, where its marine specialists have been able to incorporate more compact R7i inverters into the multi-drives onboard without compromising energy storage, according to Field.

“Integrating battery plant of this scale to support zero‑emission operation is very challenging,” comments Martin Saetre, Sales Manager, Marine Automation Systems at Marine & Ports. “Managing energy flows to ensure reliable, efficient performance at this size requires very precise, stable power electronics, which makes ABB’s engineering work in integrating drives, converters, and controls seamlessly critical to the project’s success.”

To facilitate the later integration of battery energy storage of up to 70 MWh within current operating parameters, a connection to over 60 MW of shore charging power will be required to allow rapid port turnarounds.

“We are talking about charging the ship in 30 - 45 minutes”, explains Koseoglu. “We approached future‑proofing as a lifecycle‑value requirement, not an option,” she concludes. “Based on the installed Onboard DC Grid™ solution, we needed to evaluate space, weight and system integration for the upgrade to all-electric operations, where the ship must maintain its performance margins in the future during winter storm energy spikes, for example.”

Toward fully electric operations

With the New Major Vessels, BC Ferries is renewing some of the most critical assets in its fleet while preparing for how ferry operations will need to evolve over the coming decades. The programme combines higher passenger and cargo capacity with improved service reliability utilising today’s hybrid‑electric technology, while keeping a clear and workable route open toward fully electric operation as shore‑side infrastructure develops.

Just as importantly, environmental performance has been treated as a core design requirement rather than an add‑on. Reducing emissions and underwater radiated noise as well as improving operational performance have been addressed together from the outset, reflecting the realities of operating large vessels in the busy and sensitive waters of the Strait of Georgia.

Looking ahead, the New Major Vessels will give BC Ferries a solid, flexible platform to respond to growing demand, changing regulations and advances in electrification, continuing to deliver dependable services upon which coastal communities, businesses and travellers rely.

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com

ABB’s Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~26,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, Automation helps process, hybrid and maritime industries outrun – leaner and cleaner. go.abb/automation

For more information contact:
Media relations: Heli Harri: heli.harri@fi.abb.com, mobil phone +358 50 335 8072

Jacob Lundholm on mail: jacob.lundholm@dk.abb.com or mobil phone: +45 2070 6195

For information on new buildings contact:
Michael D Christensen on mail: michael.d.christensen@dk.abb.com or
mobil phone: +45 2012 084

References

1 British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. Annual Report to the British Columbia Ferries Commission - Year ended March 31, 2025.

2 https://www.bcferries.com/in-the-community/projects/new-major-vessels

3 https://www.bcferries.com/web_image/hf0/hce/8910527397918.pdf

4 https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2026/2026-03-07/html/reg2-eng.html

5 A BC Ferries Case Study: Lessons Learned in Setting Underwater Radiated Noise Targets