Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. (ESG) and Washington State Ferries have marked the official start of construction on a set of three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries at a steel cutting ceremony in Florida.
The event itself also saw David Sowers, Programme Administrator for System Electrification at Washington State Ferries, announce that Washington state will accept the option for a third vessel.
As part of the bid terms, Eastern will deliver the first boat in 2030, the second in 2031 and the final boat in 2032.
Mr. Sowers said:This is the first time in a decade that Washington state is building ferries.
We restored our ferry system to full, domestic service. Now, we are taking a significant step toward rebuilding our fleet.
Under the contract, Eastern will build three ferries for 714.5 million USD, with additional costs for owner-furnished equipment, construction management, WSF crew training, and risk contingencies bringing brings the total cost of the three vessels to 1.15 billion USD – less than the previously approved funding provision of 1.3 billion USD.
Governor Bob Ferguson has stated that he is committed to utilising these savings to help fund an additional fourth ferry.
Joey D’Isernia, CEO, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, said:Eastern Shipbuilding Group is proud to begin construction on these vessels and to partner with Washington State Ferries on one of the most important ferry modernisation programs in the country.
Our team is committed to delivering safe, reliable, high-quality ferries that will serve Washington communities for decades. Today’s steel cutting is the next step in turning that commitment into three new vessels.
