Ferries: The Next Generation

By Teri Shore, Bluewater Network

The environmental community’s call for cleaner vessels has prompted San Francisco water transit planners to build the world’s first fuel cell ferry. The effort marks the first major step toward creating a new fleet of clean, environmentally friendly ferries for our nation’s waterways. The goal is to design a passenger vessel that leaves only water vapor and heat in its wake—virtually zero emissions. That’s a giant leap from today’s tried-and-true diesel-powered ferries that emit far more air pollution per passenger than diesel buses or even cars when navigating San Francisco Bay, New York Harbor or Puget Sound.

The fuel-cell project was jump-started by $100,000 federal grant awarded to the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority to design a fuel-cell ferry and begin construction within 3 years. Additional funding would be required to build the boat. The fuel cell ferry is expected to travel about 12 knots, servicing relatively short routes to Treasure Island and the East Bay. The project will help make fuel cells commercially viable in the decades ahead.

But until then, new ferries need to be made cleaner by operating on fuels and technologies that are now available to protect air and water quality and public health. Bluewater Network and other groups believe that waiting out the next 20 or 30 years until fuel cell power is commercially available for marine applications is a flawed approach.

Such a stance is similar to our government’s lackluster plan to support fuel cell studies for cars instead of requiring that auto manufacturers increase car fuel efficiency and beginning to relieve our oil addiction in the near-term. It seems that the Japanese automakers will trump us once again, offering the hybrids Honda Insight and Toyota Prius instead of more SUVs.

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority recently released a draft study that reviews the many alternative fuels and technologies now available to make the leap to clean ferries. The near-term technology recommended by the authors demonstrates the type of vision and forward thinking that could lead WTA to build the cleanest ferry system in the world.

Marine engineering firm John J. McMullen Associates Inc. suggested using a hybrid-electric ferry to reduce emissions significantly compared to diesel. Gas turbines running on natural gas fuel would power the electric vessels, similar to the way that gas engines help power the new electric hybrid cars now on the road. This controversial combination of technology for a new generation ferry would also provide a ready platform for switching to fuel cell power in the future.
The report’s second choice was sticking with diesel engines, but using biodiesel made from soybeans to reduce air pollution, toxics and soot. This is a less far-reaching option for a new ferry fleet, though certainly headed right direction. In fact, the nation’s existing ferry fleet could be converted to biodiesel today, as the vegie-based fuel runs in any diesel engine and is available at prices approaching petroleum diesel. Plus it smells like French fries!

Several ferry operations in the US are already considering or using new technologies. The Vallejo ferry on San Francisco Bay is considering use of an engine add-on device to reduce smog-forming emissions by 90 percent in its next new vessel. A demonstration ferry planned to run between Los Angeles and San Diego is expected to use alternative fuels such as biodiesel and exhaust treatments to reduce soot and other emissions. In New Jersey and Washington state, ferry operators are eyeing biodiesel.

To prevent water pollution from its large passenger and car ferries, BC ferries in Canada has installed new, efficient wastewater treatment systems that eliminate the need to discharge dirty water overboard.

Diesel exhaust emissions from marine vessels are expected to increase significantly in coming years due to growing numbers of ferries, ocean-going vessels and cruise liners. As cars, buses and trucks become cleaner and ship traffic increases, marine vessels’ share of total air pollution will steadily increase.

Every transit mode must do its part to reduce air pollution. Each mode taken separately may not appear to comprise a large problem, however it is the cumulative effects of numerous sources that degrade air, water and public health.

Ferry planners across the country should consider the parallels between land transit trends and marine transit, and take a far-sighted view. For the marine industry to claim that diesel fast ferries contribute only a small percentage to the total emissions inventory as a reason not to make them as clean as possible will not hold up to scrutiny from the environmental community, air regulators, policy makers or the public.