Flagship Cruises and Events, the company that operates the Coronado ferry, announced a $15.27 million grant award that will help fund two new zero emission ferries.
The grant was awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as part of a statewide initiative to benefit the environment through cap-and-trade dollars. The project will be implemented in partnership with the San Diego Pollution Control District.
The new vessels, equipped with advance battery technology, will take over the ferry route between Coronado and downtown San Diego. The ferries will replace the diesel-powered MV Cabrillo and MV Silvergate.
According to a release from Flagship Cruises, the ferries will not emit any greenhouse gases during operation and the particulate matter typically associated with traditional combustion engines will be eliminated.
“Flagship is excited to lead the way with an environmentally friendly sustainable transportation alternative for ferry passengers,” said Brad Engel, the president of Flagship Cruises and Events. “We are grateful for CARB’s support to bring zero emission vessels to our San Diego-Coronado service with the first all-electric new build ferries in California.”
The company announced its grant award at the end of February and construction on the new ferries is expected to begin later this year. The launch date goal for the first ferry is the fall of 2026.
According to Flagship, the company’s investment stands at $5.5 million.
“The conversion of these ferries to electric will significantly help reduce diesel particulate emissions for the Portside communities,” said Paula Forbis, Air Pollution Control officer for the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.
Flagship said further updates will be provided as the project evolves.
