Meanwhile, Washington State Ferries expects to open bids from one to three companies to build one to five hybrid electric/diesel ferries from scratch. Construction on at least one hybrid ferry is expected to begin in 2026.
Finally, the third 202-car ferry, the Wenatchee, will finish its conversion to a hybrid ferry soon and will go through sea trials this summer. That conversion’s price tag increased from $50 million to $86 million and is 10 months behind schedule, said Steve Nevey, head of WSF, whose role was elevated to deputy transportation secretary. The delay and price increase were due to the complexities of retrofitting for the conversion, he said.
Gov. Bob Ferguson and other officials announced this change Thursday at the Colman Dock in Seattle. When he was running for governor last year, Ferguson had suggested replacing some proposed hybrid ferries with diesel-only ferries to speed the replacement process.
However, WSF officials said last year that the extensive work on designing new diesel-only ferries and finding the appropriate parts subcontractors would have delayed finishing the first new ferry after the Wenatchee from 2028 to 2030.
Ferguson said Thursday that the priority is to get Washington’s ferry fleet to full strength later this year and to keep it at full strength when Seattle hosts World Cup crowds in 2026. Work on converting the next 202-car ferry will begin after the World Cup.
“I suspect this will not be a completely smooth path,” Ferguson said.
The 21-boat ferry system is struggling to keep 10 routes that criss-cross Puget Sound fully functional. With some ferries being maintained or under repair, the fleet usually has 16 to 18 vessels in service at a time.
“The lack of service has been a crisis for the citizens of Bremerton,” said Mayor Greg Wheeler at Thursday’s press conference. Kitsap Peninsula residents have lost jobs and missed vital appointments because of the shortage of ferries, he said.
The Bremerton-Seattle route had 147 cancellations in the first two months of 2023, which dropped to 42 cancellations in the first two months of this year. “One canceled sailing is unacceptable,” Nevey said.
The ferry system also lost many crew members during the 2020 pandemic, but the fleet’s staffing is now back to pre-pandemic levels, Nevey said. In December 2019, the WSF had 1,944 employees. Last month, the ferry system had 2,087.
The system requires 19 vessels during its peak usage period and 17 during the off-season. WSF works according to the guideline that it can have three vessels out of circulation at a time for maintenance. Eight years ago, the ferry system had 24 boats, but three were sold after they reached their design lifespan. The oldest vessels still in the system are 64 years old.
The five new hybrid ferries will increase WSF’s fleet size to 26 vessels. After they are built, the state plans to replace another 11 diesel vessels with hybrids.
Drinking up to 18 million gallons of diesel fuel a year, the ferry fleet is the state government’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide. The ferry system’s overhaul is supposed to trim these emissions by 50% by 2033, prior to meeting its 2040 target of 76%. This was a significant plank in former Gov. Jay Inslee’s plans to combat climate change.
Ferguson said Thursday that remains a priority, saying “Reducing Washington’s carbon footprint is important to the state.”
A major question is how the expected three bids will turn out. Each bidder is able to submit a bid package covering one to five hybrid vessels. Ferguson said it is too soon to speculate how President Trump’s tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China will affect the bids.
