Kitsap Transit receives grant for electric ferry demonstration vessel

By Staff report • September 24, 2024 1:30 am
Kitsap Transit courtesy image A rendering of an all-electric, zero-emission fast ferry.
Kitsap Transit courtesy image A rendering of an all-electric, zero-emission fast ferry.

Kitsap Transit will receive $1.2 million for design of an all-electric, zero-emission fast ferry demonstration vessel and its shoreside charging infrastructure, the state Department of Commerce recently announced.

The grant builds upon a $4 million state grant that will help pay for the design: a scaled-down version of the 150-passenger foil ferry designed by Glosten and Bieker Boats, a KT news release states. It is intended to prove the viability of the technology and prepare for the first all-electric hydrofoil fast ferry to operate on Puget Sound.

Federally funded studies for a Bremerton-to-Seattle service show that the foil ferry would reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by 74% and cost 35% less to operate than the diesel-powered fast ferries serving the route, the release states.

The grant will be available Jan. 1 if the Climate Commitment Act isn’t repealed. Initiative 2117 on the November ballot would repeal the act, which funds legislation that allocates $3 billion for public transit over 16 years.

If the vessel proves the technology’s viability, KT would seek federal funds to build the full-scale ferry, per the release. The agency sought $18.5 million in 2022 for the design and construction of a prototype but was unsuccessful. But KT was awarded a $372,910 federal research grant in 2020.

“We will need federal funding in order to build the foil ferry and bring this vision of zero-emission ferry travel to fruition,” said John Clauson, KT executive director.

The foil ferry vessel will feature the same hydrofoil design, lightweight carbon fiber construction, and battery-electric propulsion as the full-size foil ferry. Having a prototype will help mitigate design and schedule risks, increase reliability, and reduce the program cost and timeline ahead of the full-scale phases, per the release.

“This is a reliable, ultra-efficient, low-wake vessel designed to be better for passengers and the environment,” said Paul Bieker, foiling boat designer and partner at Bieker Boats. “We achieved this by combining hydrofoil technology developed in the America’s Cup with lightweight carbon fiber composite construction and modern zero-emissions propulsion equipment. This technology represents a giant step forward in efficiency for high-speed transportation over water.”