Electric Ferries: Operator pushes case as response to climate emergency

Friday, 27 November 2020

Work on the ferry began in 2018. (Video first published April 2021)

The country’s biggest ferry operator is pushing the case for public investment in New Zealand-built electric ferries, as the government prepares to declare a climate emergency.

Fullers360 has supported Auckland-based EV Maritime’s bid to develop a high-tech battery powered ferry, which the firm initially hoped could be on the water later next year.

“The move to electric ferries alone will avoid importing up to 750 million litres of diesel by 2050, equating to 1.5-2m tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions nationally,” said Fullers360’s chief executive Mike Horne.

Horne pushed the case, supporting the Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s intention to declare a climate change emergency next week.

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Horne said his firm along with EV Maritime and power company Vector had earlier this year sought funding under the Government’s Covid-19, shovel-ready infrastructure scheme.

“We outlined the business case for a new generation of sustainable marine transportation in the form of locally designed and built e-ferries.” he said.

EV Maritime CEO Michael Eaglen at the McMullen and Wing boatyard in Mt Wellington, Auckland

“We are encouraged by the Government’s motion to address climate change and remain eager to work with the relevant authorities, including Auckland Transport, to advance this process,” he said.

Artist impression of the carbon-fibre battery powered fast ferry being developed by Auckland's EV Maritime.

Wellington's East West ferries are part-way through building the country’s first electric ferry for its cross harbour services.

EV Maritime, an off-shoot from long-established boat builder McMullen and Wing, is working on a higher tech, carbon fibre hulled project, which like East West has had some backing from Callaghan Innovation.

'We do have a vision of carving out a meaningful niche globally in zero-emission fast ferries,' Michael Eaglen, EV Maritime’s co-founder told Stuff a year ago, with design work underway.

Horne argued that public investment through a public-private partnership, for a fleet of electric ferries in Auckland, would have more than environmental benefits.

“The move to electric will not only provide economic stimulus locally through high quality sustainable employment but will establish New Zealand as a world leader in a high-profile green technology niche, creating a new exporting opportunity for our electric ferry intellectual property offshore,” he said.

“We are hopeful that the Government’s position on climate change will enable our business and our strategic partners to fast track the move to electric ferries,” he said.

Electric ferries could find a place in Auckland Transport’s long-running plans to devise a new strategy to overhaul the city’s ferry fleet, but the cost of a system for running ferries, has repeatedly slowed the work.