By
Alice Chambers |
Incat Crowther has designed a new electric hybrid ferry, called Incat Crowther 32 electric ferry, for New Zealand-based ferry and tourism company Fullers360.
The ferry will be built by Q-West and will join 10 other Incat Crowther ferries in the Fullers360 fleet.
The vessel, which will reduce Fullers360’s carbon emissions by 750,000 kilograms per year on the Auckland-Devonport route alone, represents the operator’s first large investment in green ferry technology.
The vessel will be powered by four electric motors which will generate a maximum speed of 28 knots and be controlled by an advanced energy management system. It will also have a hybrid mode, powered by a combination of electric motors and generators, allowing Fullers360 to safely invest in the new ship.
Although designed specifically for the Devonport-Auckland route, the vessel can be refitted with engines capable of operating on hydrogen fuel to increase its range, which will allow it to operate on other longer routes.
Incat Crowther has centred the onboard experience around the vessel’s large midship boarding doors, which mimic Fullers360’s existing vessels and infrastructure, including the newly developed Downton Ferry Basin terminal.
The ferry has capacity for 299 passengers and features a café, toilets and an open area with fold-up seats to accommodate 29 bicycles. This design will improve passenger flow.