‘Quieter and cleaner’: Sydney to trial electric ferry after two-year delay, with new fish market route slated for 2029 | Sydney
Exhausting journeys across Sydney Harbor could soon be a thing of the past after the city’s first Australian-made and designed electric ferry was trialled.
The New South Wales government said contracts have been signed to trial the new 24-metre, battery-electric ferry for 12 months from 2028, two years later than originally planned. It is hoped to operate on the new Sydney fish market route when it enters passenger service in 2029.
NSW transport minister John Graham said the hearing would provide insight into the transition of Sydney’s entire ferry fleet from diesel propulsion, originally planned for 2035.
“Designed by Northern Shores, this Australian-built ferry will provide a quieter journey and cleaner air in the harbour,” he said.
In 2024, the Minns government announced plans to replace Sydney’s fleet of 40 diesel-powered ferries with Australian-built, electric or hydrogen-powered vessels by 2035, although the start date for the electric trial comes two years after the project’s proposed start date of 2026.
Despite the target, the government says no decisions have been made about investing in additional electric ferries, which will depend on the success of a trial by Transport for NSW and private ferry operator Transdev.
NSW Transport General Coordinator Howard Collins said the tests would look at the reliability and charging systems of the ship, which will be installed at Barangaroo pier, in “real world conditions”. This will include passenger and crew feedback.
Construction of the trial ship will begin later this year by Tasmanian shipyard Richardson Devine Marine, which has built seven Parramatta River-class ferries that have been launched in phases since May 2024.
The new battery-electric ferry has been modeled on the same design by Sydney-based naval architects Incat Crowther.
As of January, River Class ships, powered by diesel but designed to be converted to electric propulsion, have completely replaced the RiverCat and SuperCat ships, which were retired after 30 years of service.
The new Sydney fish market opened earlier this year; It offers everything from flowers to pizza, bánh mì to special cheese, but there are no ferry services. Sydney Morning Herald marketgoers in January I would have to wait It would take at least a year to travel there by ferry, and plans for a $30 million pier are still in the design stages.
The government has committed to net zero emissions from public transport operations by 2035. Last month, it announced that its all-electric bus, train and light rail services will run entirely on renewable energy starting next year, under a new $1.9 billion deal.
But most of the state’s public buses, diesel-powered ferries, and intercity and regional trains still use fossil fuels.
The government has ordered more than 500 electric buses, hundreds of which are already in operation and 7,500 of which are expected to completely replace the 8,000-strong diesel-powered vehicle fleet.
In March, the NSW anti-slavery commissioner found Transport for NSW had failed to take reasonable steps to engage with groups affected by the potential for forced labor in lithium-ion battery supply chains in Xinjiang in China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
