Page 17: of Marine News Magazine (May 2026)

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Electri? cation

Ferries ferries. Although there are regions in the United States

Ferries are typically designed that depend on daily ferry routes, it is far more prevalent to operate very close to population centers, contributing in Europe.

to urban pollution while also creating an ideal opportunity With a higher reliance on ferry transportation, Europe for signi? cant in-harbor emissions reduction. commissions more ferry vessels more often, giving them

Internationally, the world is seeing an imbalance of ef- additional opportunities to electrify their ? eets. In com- forts to develop and implement sustainable solutions in parison, the ? eet of ferries operated in the United States is the maritime industry. More speci? c to ferry electri? cation aging, along with the traditional fossil fuel drivetrains on- and decarbonization, Europe is at the forefront of the ef- board. Beyond demand, ? nancial feasibility remains one of fort, while the United States is lagging behind. the most signi? cant hurdles to electri? cation.

While ferries present an opportunity for emissions re-

Cost Barriers to Electri? cation duction, adoption of electri? cation varies signi? cantly across regions. Determining whether electri? cation can be cost-effec- tive includes analysis of various factors such as ferry route, schedule, size, and time at dock; the more limited range

Electric Ferries Across the World

There are approximately 15,400 ferries of all fuel types of an electric vessel is often a critical consideration. Even in operation globally, and the United States operates nearly if an electric vessel could provide operational savings, the 5% of those (about 750 total). However, when it comes signi? cant cost of building not only the vessel itself but to electric ferries, the United States operates only a few of also developing and implementing shoreside charging in- the 200+ that are in operation worldwide. Meanwhile, Eu- frastructure presents a considerable challenge.

ropean countries operate proportionally far more electric In the United States, it is dif? cult to justify the price ferries, with Norway alone operating about 70. tag of electri? cation for operators that do not receive

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ag- dedicated funding or face regulatory pressure to pursue gressive target for emissions reduction is one factor con- emissions reduction.

tributing to the development of electric ferries. However, One factor contributing to the high cost of vessels is these IMO regulations are not applicable to all vessels, in- the Jones Act, which requires commercial vessels travel- cluding many domestic ferries. ing within the United States to be built in America. Ship-

In the United States, domestic vessels are primarily sub- yards frequently rely on imported steel and aluminum for ject to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as well as commercial vessels, and, unfortunately, the global trade local and state regulations. With the exception of a few dynamics are creating additional expense on these critical state requirements (e.g. California or Washington), the materials for vessels of all types. There is a further added regulations to which vessels in the United States are subject burden for electric vessels, as batteries and the materials of are not nearly as stringent as those IMO regulations with which they are comprised are also subject to price increases which international vessels comply. due to international trade practices.

Despite global progress, the United States faces sev- While hybrid-electric vessels can offer bene? ts com- eral societal and economic barriers that slow widespread pared with fully electric vessels, it can be even more ex- adoption. pensive to build them. Hybrid ferries require components for both electric and traditional power generation systems, and in turn they require more volume and/or weight ca-

Challenges to U.S. Electric Ferries

One factor in? uencing electri? cation efforts is the un- pacity onboard to accommodate both systems. While the derlying demand for ferry transportation. initial vessel investment is substantial, hybrid ferries can

First, it is worth noting that the United States does not offer savings on shoreside infrastructure upgrades or fuel rely as heavily on ferry transportation as many of the Eu- over the life of the vessel, compared to their all-electric and ropean countries that have outsized quantities of electric conventional diesel counterparts, respectively.

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