FERRIES 2023: Candela eyes electrified vessels to improve public transit
Written by Heather Ervin
Credit: Candela
Waterborne transportation has long been an important mode of travel, but the environmental impact and cost of operating traditional ferries has limited its use in modern times. However, with Stockholm-based Candela’s cutting-edge technology, waterways can be electrified and thereby improve public transportation and connect communities in an environmentally sustainable way.
Using smaller vessels that fly over the water instead of through it, energy needs can be reduced by up to 95%, making waterborne transportation competitive again. To go into more detail on Candela’s technology and its new 30-person ferry being tested in Stockholm for launch next year, Erik Eklund, CEO for Commercial Vessels at Candela Technology in Stockhold, Sweden, will present at Marine Log’s FERRIES 2023 on November 14-15 in Jersey City, N.J.
Eklund will go over how Candela can help reduce congestion on roads by using the infrastructure water provides for free to provide a faster, more enjoyable way for people to travel.
With an MSc Naval Architecture, Eklund has experience from throughout the maritime industry, including in Sweden, Norway, France, Malta, and Dubai. Having grown up with boating and sailing, he started his professional career as a captain in the Swedish navy. He moved on to surveying ships at DNV, followed by heading the design unit at the Swedish Defense Material Administration, and then the technical unit of the Swedish Maritime Administration. He has also served as the maritime director at the Swedish Transport Agency, including heading the department of strategy and international relations.
Eklund spent several years at the Swedish Institute for Standards, where he headed the Department for Innovation, Business and International Relations before taking on the role as Director for Maritime Sector Strategy for the Dubai Maritime City Authority. At Candela Technology, he is leading the company’s development of its commercial vessels, mainly passenger ferries, and the accompanying system thinking for fossil-free and super energy efficient public transportation on water with the company’s 100% electric hydrofoiling vessels.
FERRIES 2023: The Conference
Set to take place at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, November 14-15 in Jersey City, N.J., the 36th annual Marine Log FERRIES conference will have as its theme “Designing today’s ferries for future operations.”
The venue, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking ferry traffic on the Hudson River, is a quick ferry ride from New York City.
Delivering two days of in-person discussions, dynamic Q&A sessions, and multiple networking opportunities, FERRIES 2023 will be an opportunity for the North American ferry industry to come together to share experiences, network, look for new suppliers and reconnect with existing suppliers.
The art of designing or upgrading ferries takes a lot into consideration outside of the vessel’s blueprints. Making a greener ferry is a design choice and so is enhancing the passenger experience.
FERRIES 2023 will focus on how today’s ferries—those under construction, coming online soon, or already in operation—can be prepared for the changing scope of future operations.
As ever, a focus of the program will be on lessons learned from hard-earned, real-life experience. In addition, the program will explore new ways to meet economic and environmental targets through advances in technology, innovative approaches to operating a vessel, and the latest trends in ferry design.
In addition to thought leaders presenting on topics relevant to the ferry industry, three panels have been incorporated in this year’s program focused on ferry operator challenges and successes, battery options for ferries, and an interesting overview and look at the new Governors Island ferry project.
Other topics will explore leveraging shoreside terminals and infrastructure to increase profits; low-carbon alternatives, such as electric, hydrogen and hybrid options; what’s trending in ferry designs being delivered today; and more.
The Tour
Following the end of conference sessions, on November 15, an industry tour will be provided to a limited number of attendees. This year’s tour will have attendees board a NYC Ferry vessel and tour the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it will learn more about NYC Ferry’s Homeport Pier C, its deisgn and construction.
Guests will also learn the history of the area and discover plans for Homepoort II in Red Hook. Hornblower will round out the conversation with an inside look at NYC Ferry’s marine operations and more.
The complete agenda can be found here.
For inquiries regarding sponsorships or ways you can connect with FERRIES 2023 attendees, contact David Harkey at dharkey@sbpub.com.
The Sponsors—So Far
The following organizations are signed up to sponsor FERRIES 2023, although more will be announced soon:
Anchor (Platinum)
VPS (Platinum)
Bayonne Dry Dock (Cocktail Reception)
Siemens Energy (Pre-Conference Cocktail Party)
W&O (Luncheon)
PPG (Registration)
Coastal Marine Equipment (Laynards)
ABB (Gold)
Glosten (Gold)
All American Marine (Silver)
BMT (Silver)
Christie & Grey (Silver)
EMS Marcon (Silver)
GL Power (Silver)
Neste US (Silver)
Hamilton Jet (Silver)
Karl Senner (Silver)
Kongsberg (Silver)
Zinus Power (Silver)
MTU – A Rolls-Royce Solution (Silver)
NCP Coatings (Silver)
RIX (Silver)
Schottel / elkon (Silver)
J&A Enterprises / Soundown (Silver)
United Safety & Survivability Corporation / Fireboy-Xintex (Silver)
Vulkan (Silver)
Marine Jet Power (Silver)
BAE Systems (Bronze)
CANAL (Bronze)
Conrad Shipyard (Bronze)
Crowley (Bronze)
Cummins (Bronze)
Elliott Bay Design Group (Bronze)
EV Maritime (Bronze)
Wärtsilä (Bronze)
LeBlanc & Associates LLC (Bronze)
MOPS (Bronze)
PROP (Bronze)
Rigidized Metals (Bronze)
SSI (Bronze)
The Shearer Group (Bronze)
Thrive Payments (Bronze)
World Wide Metric (Bronze)
360 Coverage Pros (Bronze)
ZF Group (Bronze)
Allied Marine Crane (Bronze)
Artemis Technologies (Bronze)
CMP Global (Bronze)
