UPDATE
CONCEPT HYDROFOIL E-FERRY DESIGNED FOR 100-MILE RANGE
The ferry is designed to have a range of up to 100 nautical miles and a cruising speed of 40 knots.
AL AMEDA , C ALIF.- BASED MARINE TECHNOLOGY startup Boundary Layer
Technologies has released a concept design for a zero-emission, all-electric ferry said to have twice the speed and range of existing e-ferries. Called Electra, the ferry is designed to have a range of up to 100 nautical miles and a cruising speed of 40 knots using Boundary Layer Technology’s proprietary hydrofoil technology and podded propulsion system. Compared to fossil fuel alternatives, Electra’s battery electric propulsion significantly reduces cabin noise by up to 20dB compared to conventional ferries. Its foiling system also
offers excellent seakeeping and ride comfort. “Hydrofoil technology is the key to enabling electrification of passenger ferries,” says Ed Kearney, CEO of Boundary Layer Technologies. “By reducing the drag of the vessel by a factor of two, the powering requirements are also halved, which increases the speed and range of what an electric ferry can do. This opens the door to electrification of the majority of ferry routes across the world.” The Electra ferry is said to offer OPEX reductions of up to 35% compared to fossil fuel burning fast ferry alternatives while helping operators de-risk the future cost
uncertainties of carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes. Someone who is impressed with the concept is Patrick Murphy, president of Blue & Gold Fleet, the contract operator of San Francisco’s 15 high-speed ferries. “We think Electra is an exciting development of ferry technology and shows promise for decarbonizing ferry operations and adding to the customer’s experience,” he says. B o u n d a r y L aye r Te ch n o l o g i e s h a s already developed the hydrofoil and control systems required for Electra and plans to have the first vessels in operation by first quarter 2024.
A 4 2 -Y E A R - O L D PA S H A H AWA I I CONTAINERSHIP, the 2,400 TEU Hori-
zon Reliance, is to be conver ted from steam propulsion and converted to dual fuel—presumably LNG—propulsion. The ship is one of four Jones Act containerships acquired when Pasha acquired the Hawaii trade lane operations of the now defunct Horizon Lines back in 2014. News of the planned conversion emerged when Tønsberg, Norway-based Høglund, reported it had been awarded a contract to deliver automation and fuel 14 Marine Log // November 2021
gas supply system (FGSS) for the vessel. and said that in partnership with China’s COSCO Shipyard Group, it will deliver a total integrated solution on the vessel, including the installation of FGSS, power management system (PMS), ship performance monitor and digital solutions for data collection, as well as the full automation of all the new systems on board the ship. “Rather than recycling this 274- by 30-meter ship built in 1979, owner Sunrise Reliance LLC’s choice to entirely retrofit
and refurbish the ship signals the company’s commitment to environmentally conscious action,” says Høgland. Sunrise Reliance LLC is a Pasha subsidiary. Høglund says it will design, engineer, manufacture, supply and deliver a fully integrated automation solution to support the vessel’s transition from steam propulsion power to a dual-fuel vessel. This includes a high-pressure FGSS— w ith a design supply pressure of 320 bar—and Høglund’s signature PMS and ship performance monitor.
Photo Credit: Boundary Layer Technologies
Pasha to Repower Box Ship to LNG Dual Fuel
