Federal Grant Will Fund Charging Infrastructure for New Hybrid Ferry to Governors Island
The federal government has allocated $7.5 million to support the project to bring a hybrid-electric ferry to Governors Island next summer. The block of funds announced on Friday by Mayor Eric Adams will help build out the rapid-charging infrastructure at the Governors Island end of the 800-yard ferry route, at Soissons Ferry Landing.
The hybrid-electric ferry to Governors Island, projected to be the first vessel of its kind to provide public transportation within New York Harbor, will meld traditional diesel engine technology with battery-powered electric motors. This design will allow the vessel to toggle between zero-emission, battery-only power, and battery-assisted hybrid power, supplemented by the diesel engines. The battery-assist mode will allow the new ferry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 800 tons annually, according to the Trust for Governors Island.
The design of the yet-to-be-named new ferry (now under construction at the Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana) calls for electric motors that can generate 90 percent of the maximum power output that the vessel’s diesel engines can produce while running continuously, within safe limits and conditions. This capability is projected to reduce fuel burn, emissions and the number of hours needed for maintenance. The new charging infrastructure that will enable this performance will convey electric power at the rate of 1800 kilowatts per hour (about double what an average-sized home uses in a month), and allow for an eight-minute charge time after each round trip.
Clare Newman, the president of the Trust for Governors Island, said, “the shoreside charging station powering our new ferry will serve hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, while also championing environmental sustainability.”
Tammy Meltzer, chair of Community Board 1, said, “the inclusion of a rapid charging station in the shoreside infrastructure will support the hybrid-electric ferries to serve Governors Island. This federal investment enables us to mark a pivotal step towards reducing our environmental footprint, while enhancing transportation and air quality for our community.”
“Innovation in our own backyard will raise the bar for sustainable transportation infrastructure in New York City,” said Jessica Lappin, president of the Downtown Alliance. “Governors Island is one of the City’s gems, and traveling to this unique destination from Lower Manhattan will soon be cleaner and more efficient.”
The new hybrid-electric ferry expected to launch in mid-2024 will replace the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, a 180-foot vessel that launched in 1955 (and named for a Medal of Honor winner who died in the Korean War), which is now past the end of its useful life.