BC Ferries orders five new vessels to upgrade fleet and expand capacity

In the company’s largest capital investment to date, BC Ferries is going ahead with the procurement process for the initial five of seven new environmentally friendly vessels required for its busiest routes. The decision was made to replace aging vessels, respond to the projected growth in the West Coast’s population, and meet customer expectations in terms of availability and reliability.

Among the world’s largest double-ended ferries, the new vessels will carry up to 360 standard-sized vehicles and 2,100 passengers – a significant capacity increase from the 250 to 310 vehicles and 1,200 to 1,5000 passengers that the soon-to-be-retired ferries accommodate.

“They will move more people and vehicles more efficiently, helping us to maintain current schedules and contributing to reduced wait times,” says Ed Hooper, BC Ferries’ executive director of shipbuilding. “These new vessels will be quieter and cleaner than the vessels they replace, allowing us to achieve a significant reduction in our corporate greenhouse gas emissions.”

The current phase of the company’s New Major Vessels (NMV) project will increase the fleet by one ferry, bringing the total to 12 vessels. The two remaining planned vessels will be built later to avoid unduly increasing fares to finance the project.

“Additionally, the flexibility to refine the final two vessels based on insights from the initial builds and operational performance ensures we deliver the best possible service for the future,”  says Nicolas Jimenez, BC Ferries’ president and CEO.

The operational life of two existing C-Class vessels, the Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Oak Bay, will also be extended through local shipyards and contractors.

BC Ferries saw record-breaking passenger and vehicle traffic this past summer with more than 8.04 million passengers and 3.15 million vehicles transported between June 1 and August 31. Without the new vessels, major route capacity will be exceeded by 2035.

The new shipyard contracts are expected to be awarded next spring, once the RPF process is completed, subject to the Ferry Commissioner’s approval. The first ship is slated to begin operating in 2029, with all five in service by 2031.