Statue of Liberty ferries will undergo 'electrifying' makeover with Corvus batteries

Nine diesel-powered ferries operated by Statue City Cruises on tours to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will undergo retrofit with energy storage systems (ESSs) to reduce fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New York Harbor.

Leading maritime battery solutions provider Corvus Energy was selected to supply the ESSs for the hybridisation project. Each ferry will be equipped with a Corvus Orca ESS of various power and size based on its needs. 

Besides supplying battery systems, Corvus Energy will provide ongoing system monitoring and aftermarket services, including remote troubleshooting, spare parts, service engineers, and training for crew members, to support optimised system performance.

To optimise battery performance over the lifetime of the system, Corvus Energy has developed a proprietary cloud-based technology that continuously monitors ESS function and provides real-time performance insights. The online monitoring tool uses data, machine learning and algorithms to support predictive maintenance, optimised system use and proactive troubleshooting. A secure digital solution, the Corvus Orca ESS used in conjunction with the Corvus monitoring system was awarded Cyber Security Type Approval from DNV.

Kenner, Louisiana-based Karl Senner will support Statue City Cruises and Corvus Energy on the electrical integration of the battery systems.

Feeney Shipyards and North River Shipyard, both located north of New York City on the Hudson River, will support the retrofits of the ferries. 

Statue City Cruises vice president, sales and marketing, Rafael Abreu, said: “Installing energy storage systems onboard our fleet allows us to provide a more sustainable transit to our passengers and will reduce the environmental impact of our operations in the New York/New Jersey region.”

When operating on battery power alone, the ferry will produce zero emissions.

Since 2008, Statue City Cruises, a subsidiary of the Hornblower Group, has operated ferry service under a concession with the US National Park Service to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, transporting around 4M passengers annually.

Pioneer in electrification

California has been a leader in electrification and reducing  CO2 and GHG emissions on its waterfront. It is no surprise that Hornblower pioneered hybrid-powered passenger ferry service in the US through its affiliated brand Alcatraz City Cruises based in San Francisco.

The Alcatraz City Cruises hybrid ferries, Alcatraz Flyer and Alcatraz Clipper, operate to Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Both vessels are equipped with a Corvus ESS and are capable of zero emission, fully electric service. A third vessel, Hornblower Hybrid, is undergoing retrofit with a new ESS for fully electric operation.