Sydney Harbour is expected to have its first electric ferry before the end of the decade after the New South Wales government signed contracts with Tasmanian shipyard Richardson Devine Marine.
A first 24-metre battery electric trial ferry – based based on the recently completed Parramatta River Class ferries designed by Sydney-based naval architects Incat Crowther – will be built first and will operate for 12 months from early 2028, before entering service along the new Sydney Fish Markets route in 2029.
Shoreside charging infrastructure will be installed at Barangaroo Wharf to enable the trial.
“The first trial of an electric ferry on Sydney Harbour is an important moment for our iconic ferry fleet which will transition from diesel propulsion over coming years, informed by this first vessel,” said John Graham, NSW minister for transport.
“This Northern Beaches-designed, Australian-built ferry will provide a quieter ride and cleaner air on the Harbour.”
The state government has yet to decide whether to invest in more electric ferries until Transport for NSW and private ferry operator Transdev Sydney Ferries are able to assess the performance and service range of the first electric trial.
Plans to deliver a first electric ferry to Sydney Harbour were first announced in September of 2024, with the first fully electric ferry promised at the time to first join the Parramatta River service in 2026, to be followed soon after by the first Manly and inner harbour ferries.
The news also comes just over a week after Brisbane based shipbuilder Aus Ships Group announced a partnership with Volvo Penta to build Australia’s first electric drive passenger ferry, which is already under construction and due to be commissioned by the end of the year.
Tasmania’s Incat, meanwhile, has completed construction of the world’s largest battery-electric ship, Hull 096, at its Prince of Wales Bay shipyard in Hobart, and is also delivering a series of large battery-electric ferries for a Danish operator as part of the world’s largest electrification project at sea.
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Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.