By
Alex Smith |
New Zealand’s first fully electric high-speed passenger ferry, East by West’s Ika Rere, is to fully enter service by the end of March following a commissioning process and initial public sailings.
Made from carbon fibre, the catamaran can transport up to 132 passengers at a speed of 20 knots. She will transport commuters across Wellington Harbour (Te Whanganui-a-Tara) following testing and crew training on the wharves and routes she will operate.
“Complementing our goal of using Wellington’s harbour-based geography to reduce transport emissions, Ika Rere will also deliver a comfortable and reliable service for passengers,” said Jeremy Ward, managing director of East by West. “Her electric power unit is quieter and smoother with fewer moving parts than a diesel engine. That means less maintenance and less disruption to the sailing schedule.”
The 19-metre ferry was constructed by the Wellington Electric Boat Building Company (WEBBCo), the first vessel to be delivered by the shipbuilder. Distributor Henley Group also supplied a seawater lubricated propeller shaft arrangement from Canadian company Thordon Bearings.
“The ferry is very quiet at 19 knots and silent at 10 knots,” said Fraser Foote, managing director at WEBBCo. “It is faster and uses less energy than we anticipated. Ika Rere is a hugely successful project for us. We are the first in the southern hemisphere to have taken a vessel of this kind off the drawing board and onto the water.”
The ferry will be powered by renewable energy provider Meridian Energy as part of the electric vehicle fleet of Metlink, the public transport wing of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
“As a generator of 100 per cent renewable energy, Meridian is delighted to be supporting the first fully electric passenger ferry,” said Lisa Hannifin, chief customer officer for Meridian Energy. “It proves the potential for the electrification of transport to disrupt the status quo while reducing the impact of climate change. Our partnership also allows East by West to support 100 per cent renewable energy generation through our Certified Renewable Energy product, enabling them to report their Scope 2 electricity emissions as zero.”