NORTH CAPE MAY – The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) held a virtual public update session, June 27, as the preliminary design of a new ferry fleet nears completion.
Much work remains to be done. No new ferry is likely to join the fleet until the end of 2026. But what those new ferries will look like and how they will be operated is coming into focus.
Heath Gehrke, director of operations for the ferry system, reviewed the decisions that have been made. He said the new fleet would comprise three to four ferries with a nominal capacity of 75 vehicles. That will put them at about 75% of the capacity of the current ferries.
Gehrke noted that the ferries will be built with a hybrid propulsion system that utilizes electric motors and will still carry diesel generators. The plan on propulsion is to move forward incrementally toward a zero-emission, all-electric fleet as the technology for battery storage of electricity evolves.
Addressing concerns that smaller vessels will be a limiting factor during the busy summer season, Gehrke and the consultants from Elliot Bay Design Group spoke of the need to balance cost factors and year-round demand with the needs of the busy summer season.
“We need a fleet that allows more efficient operations in the off months when demand is lower,” Gehrke said.
He added that the operating cost of the smaller ferries is lower and the cost to build them is less. Gehrke said DRBA could actually grow capacity if a full fleet of four vessels is eventually constructed.
For those concerned that smaller vessels would rock more in even mildly turbulent waters, Elliot Bay consultants spoke of advances in hull design over the decades since the current fleet was placed in operation. The current design for the new vessels will be undergoing “model testing” for design validation in Denmark.
Issues concerning how the smaller vessels will compare with the current fleet of nominally 100-car-capacity ferries will be tested. The first new ferry to join the fleet will operate alongside the larger vessels for some period since construction of each smaller ferry takes about two years.
The vessels will have three decks accessible to the public, with the main deck for vehicles and two above decks for passenger comfort and amenities. The new ferries will come equipped with an elevator to make life easier for those with medical issues or disabilities.
Passenger amenities will be similar to the present, with food service on the first passenger deck and a bar available one deck up.
The design calls for better organized space for the crew and more effective utilization of space below the main deck.
When asked if the new vessels will be faster than the current fleet, Gehrke said they would have the capacity for greater speed, but that capacity would likely go unused during the period when the new vessels operate alongside the older fleet.
Gehrke said DRBA will not contemplate charging stations of electric vehicles (EVs) on the ferries due to concern for fire safety. He said he did not want to overestimate the potential EV fires, but he did note that such fires, when they happen, are very difficult to extinguish. This is an issue the planners are still wrestling with while also hoping for more safety measures from EV car manufacturers.
The Elliott Bay consultants said the design currently calls for only a 10-year electric battery life for the ferries in order to allow the fleet to take advantage of new technologies as they develop for battery storage.
Building a greener fleet imposes a set of new concepts and design challenges, but Gehrke emphasized that DRBA’s goal is zero emissions over time. He pointed to the fact that the fleet design is for vessels that will be in service for decades.
The next step in growing the fleet is termed construction design, which is expected to begin as early as July. This is the step in the process that will produce the detailed design specifications and drawings that will be the basis of shipyard construction.
The tentative schedule showed construction design concluding around the end of March 2024. That will be followed by a procurement process for construction companies which may run to the start of 2025. The two-year estimated construction period is what places the first vessel in the new fleet arriving toward the end of 2026.
The full presentation and some additional drawings will be placed on the DRBA ferry master plan webpage for public access. At the high point in the live virtual meeting, an audience of 98 was online, demonstrating an interest in the fleet modernization process.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
