Corvus Energy has been awarded a brand-new, milestone contract to supply its Battery Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for a set of four hybrid-electric, double-ended passenger and car ferries for British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (BC Ferries).
The new vessels will form BC Ferries’ Summit Class, and are named Summit Arbutus, Summit Cedar, Summit Maple, and Summit Spruce.
As part of the contract; Corvus will supply 40 MWh of installed battery capacity—10 MWh per vessel – a scale that will render the ships amongst the highest capacity battery-powered ferries in the world. Additionally, Corvus will supply battery interface bases and control pack systems sized for an additional 60 MWh (for a total of 70MWh) for each vessel, allowing each ferry to sail almost entirely emission free for up to two hours whilst charging infrastructure becomes available.
The Corvus Dolphin NxtGen™ Power system features advanced liquid-cooled power cells, improved energy density, and enhanced safety architecture, and the ESS will be integrated into the power and propulsion package for the new vessels.
Fredrik Witte, CEO of Corvus Energy, said:We are delighted to be selected again by BC Ferries for this flagship project. BC Ferries continues to drive one of the most ambitious and technically advanced ferry electrification programs in the world.
Our Dolphin NxtGen technology brings the next leap in performance and safety, enabling these vessels to operate efficiently today while paving the way for a fully electric future. We are extra proud that these batteries have been developed at our Product Development Hub in Vancouver, BC.
Each of the four new double-ended ferries will be capable of carrying up to 360 vehicles and 2,100 passengers and crew, and has been designed in collaboration with LMG Marin. They will feature diesel-battery hybrid propulsion, including compatibility with biofuel or renewable diesel.
The first vessel is scheduled for delivery by 2029 from China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group Weihai Shipyard Co., Ltd., with all four set to enter service by 2031.
