Queensland’s longest serving boat builder Norman Wright and Sons says it can deliver a fleet of all-electric ferries for Brisbane in time for the 2032 Olympic games, but not using the solar-covered boats the city is currently testing.
Norman R. Wright and Sons revealed on Tuesday it is partnering with New Zealand’s EV Maritime in a bid to build a new generation of all-electric Brisbane River ferries.
But the boat maker’s managing director Tony Riek, a mechanical engineer and sailor, is not keen on the solar panel-covered cross-river ferries being trialled by Brisbane City Council and current CityCat operators in a $435,000 feasibnility study.
“We built the Gen2 and Gen 3 City Cats and we know the one thing almost every visitor does when they come to Brisbane is go for a ride on a ferry,” said Riek.
“Understanding the significance of this experience, it is paramount that when visitors arrive for the 2032 Olympic Games, their ferry ride is on a vessel that is zero emissions, and free from diesel pollution. And that is why we have teamed up with EV Maritime.”
The Auckland-based EV Maritime is already in the process of building electric fast ferries that would be capable of carrying up to 200 people. Announced in early 2022, two of the ferries are expected to begin operating in Auckland Harbour on New Zealand’s North Island in 2024.
The project is part of a $34 million contract to roll-out fast ferries for Auckland that is backed by the New Zealand government.
While details are thin at the moment, the two companies have promised a more detailed blueprint outlining their partnership and a “feasible pathway” to transitioning Brisbane’s City Cat fleet to fully electric, battery-powered, lighter, fibre-composite ferries.
“What we are interested in is a proper transport solution for Brisbane that is based on electric power,” Riek told the Brisbane Times.
“That means taking an electric solution to the CityCats from end to end. That is the goal that we are after.”
Brisbane City Council is expected to release a tender for next generation CityCats within two years.
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.