Trust for Governors Island seeks shipyard to build New York ferry
View of New York Harbour and Lower Manhattan from Governors Island (Source: Timothy Schenck)
A U.S. yard is being sought to build a 63m-long passenger/vehicle ferry for operating in New York. A request for proposals to build the vessel has been issued by the agency Trust for Governors Island. The ferry will serve traffic between Lower Manhattan and Governors Island, in the heart of New York harbour which is now open to the public all year round. The new vessel shall meet all United States Coast Guard (USCG) requirements for certification.
The design comes from marine architect Elliott Bay Design Group and has been developed for future all-electric operation. The vessel will be equipped with a battery hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system. Propulsion will be provided by two variable‐speed, reversing permanent-magnet engines rated for 540 kW at 670 rpm. Drive will be through two Voith Schneider propellers one at each end of the vessel. The hybrid propulsion system shall be optimised for fuel consumption, to achieve high engine-operating hours and to minimise exhaust gas generation. The vessel should be configured for future all‐electric operation with increased battery capacity and a future addition of shore power charging facilities. Installed hybrid equipment shall be all‐electric ready including for connection of the necessary additional batteries and the higher capacity shore power transformer. Space allocation for additional batteries will be provided in battery rooms.
Proposals from U.S. yards to build the ferry are due on February 14, 2022.
