FERRIES 2023: Shore charging systems for green ferries
Written by Heather Ervin
ABB ferry shore side charging system
Electric and hybrid ferries have become increasingly popular as the world moves towards a cleaner and more sustainable future. Because of this, one trending topic in the ferry space is the need for shore charging systems for ferries, and the conference will have no shortage of discussion on that.
Edward Schwarz, vice president of sales for marine systems for ABB, will present on this topic at Marine Log’s 36th annual FERRIES conference on November 14 in Jersey City, N.J., just across the harbor from Manhattan, N.Y.
A key aspect of a shift to greener operations requiring further improvement is the reliability and effectiveness of shore charging systems for ferries. Despite compelling advancements in technology, shore charging systems can still be subject to failures and operational difficulties.
Schwarz will go over why and how systems should be carefully engineered to match the corresponding vessel’s operational profile and environment and must be able to account for any spatial variations because of wind, waves, tides, etc. He will also provide an overview of the reality of shore charging for hybrid and electric ferries, with a particular emphasis on automatic charging systems and real-life examples of charging successes and failures, as well as a look into the promising, high-powered future of shore charging.
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)
W&O (Luncheon)
PPG (Registration)
ABB (Gold)
Glosten (Gold)
All American Marine (Silver)
BMT (Silver)
Christie & Grey (Silver)
EMS Marcon (Silver)
GL Power (Silver)
Hamilton Jet (Silver)
Karl Senner (Silver)
Kongsberg (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)
BAE Systems (Bronze)
CANAL (Bronze)
Conrad Shipyard (Bronze)
Crowley (Bronze)
Elliott Bay Design Group (Bronze)
EV Maritime (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)
ZF Group (Bronze)
