Echandia batteries will power San Francisco Bay Ferry’s REEF ferries
Written by Nick Blenkey
Image: WETA
Swedish maritime battery system specialist Echandia has been selected to supply the battery systems for San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) Ferry program. This project marks a significant step towards advancing zero-emission water transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As we have reported previously, the REEF Program will see San Francisco Bay Ferry, which is operated by San Francisco’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), introduce a fleet of battery electric ferries that will be the first zero-emission high speed ferries in the U.S. The first phase of this project includes the deployment of three 150-passenger battery electric ferries to operate on a network connecting emerging waterfront neighborhoods in San Francisco, and two 400-passenger battery electric ferries serving current SF Bay Ferry routes in Oakland and Alameda. The first REEF vessel is expected to enter service in 2026, with the initial battery systems scheduled for delivery in second quarter 2025.
San Francisco Bay Ferry and its REEF integration team are also working on designs for a new electric charging float for the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal. The float will have energy storage via battery banks to allow for rapid charging during dwell times at the terminal.
All of this will be the subject of a panel discussion on October 29 at our upcoming FERRIES event in Seattle, Wash.
In July, Echandia announced the opening of a production facility in Marysville, Wash. This facility will ensure that the San Francisco Bay’s new zero-emission vessels are powered with American-made, FTA-compliant batteries and FTA compliant. This means that Echandia’s battery systems will meet Buy America provisions, which require a certain percentage of the product’s components to be manufactured in the United States.
“We’re proud to be working with Echandia to advance the nation’s first high-speed, high-capacity battery electric ferries in the United States,” said Seamus Murphy,executive director of San Francisco Bay Ferry. “Among the many benefits of our program will be the creation of new jobs and the expansion of the U.S. zero-emission maritime industry. By opening this new facility, Echandia is helping us realize those benefits.”
“This is a milestone achievement for our expansion into the North American market,“ said Echandia CEO Fredrik Hellström. “This is so far probably the most prestigious maritime electrification project in the world to be a part of, and I think many others will look at this project as a benchmark moving forward. This really is a testament to the quality and safety of our battery systems.”
