Three shipyards submit bid documents for Washington State Ferries’ hybrid vessel tender

Three US shipyards have submitted prequalification documents in response to a tender issued by transport operator Washington State Ferries (WSF) earlier this year for five new hybrid electric Ro-Pax vessels in a series.

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Washington, the Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, and Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania will then be visited by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials as part of the tender process. The three companies will also be required to submit their respective formal bids before the end of the year.

According to the tender documents, each ferry will be able to transport 1,500 passengers and 160 cars. A propulsion setup that will include rechargeable batteries and two backup diesel engines will be supplied by ABB.

All five ferries are scheduled to be delivered to WSF between 2028 and 2030. They will be operated on the Mukilteo-Clinton and Seattle-Bremerton routes.

Design work on the ferries will be undertaken by Seattle-based naval architecture firm the Elliott Bay Design Group.