The Delaware River and Bay Authority has received a $20 million federal grant toward the purchase of a new hybrid ferry to replace a more-than-40-year-old diesel ferry that runs between Lewes, Delaware, and Cape May.
The grant from the Department of Transportation will help offset the cost of the new ferry, estimated at $81.5 million. It will replace one of the four existing ferries.
The DRBA said it is looking to solicit bids from shipyards in the first quarter of 2025 and select the winning bidder that summer. The goal is to have a new vessel in service in late 2027.
The funding will assist the DRBA in its efforts to transition its fleet to provide an environmentally sustainable ferry service by lowering carbon emissions.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry began operations on July 1, 1964, and has carried more than 50 million passengers. In a statement announcing the grant, Delaware legislators said: “As an integral transportation system connecting the communities and economies on both sides of the Delaware Bay, the ferry service is a significant catalyst for economic growth and regional tourism activity in New Jersey and Delaware.”
The ferry operation sustains more than 4,000 jobs while generating tens of millions of dollars in local taxes and hundreds of millions in regional economic activity. For every $1 invested in the operation, $20 of economic activity is generated.
The diesel-hybrid ferry will operate with lower emissions compared to a diesel ferry, and it will allow zero-emission operations while near port and while docked.
Hybrid and all-electric ferry models are estimated to achieve the following annual reductions: 2,025 tons in carbon dioxide, 102.7 tons in nitrogen dioxide, 1.51 tons of fine particulate matter, 1.03 tons of hydrocarbons and 5 tons of carbon monoxide.
The new engines will also reduce fuel consumption by 35%.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
