BC Ferries selects shipyard in China to build its next four major vessels

BC Ferries has just announced that a shipyard in China has been selected to build its next four major vessels, which will replace aging ferries in their fleet. 

The vessels set to be replaced are the Queen of Alberni, Queen of New Westminster, Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Cowichan, all of which are C-Class and V-Class ships that were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards (CMI Weihai) has won the contract, following a rigorous global procurement process. This process included a public Request for Proposals, comprehensive bid evaluations, international site visits as well as independent third-party reference checks.

BC Ferries says that CMI Weihai has a strong track record of building passenger and vehicle vessels for international operators similar in scale to their company. This includes shipbuilding work for Stena RoRo in Sweden and Grimaldi Lines in Italy. 

“CMI Weihai is a global leader in passenger ferry construction, and shipbuilding more broadly,” said Nicolas Jimenez, CEO of BC Ferries. 

“It was the clear choice based on the overall strength of its bid, including its technical capabilities, high-quality and safety standards, ferry-building experience, proven ability to deliver safe, reliable vessels on dependable timelines, and the overall cost and value it delivers for our customers – all essential as we continue to experience growing demand and the urgent need to renew our aging fleet.”

BC Ferries says that throughout the shipbuilding process in China, they will have their own team on site to provide ongoing oversight of their progress. 

According to BC Ferries, the company anticipates investing over $230 million in the four new vessels throughout their first 10 years, and over $1 billion across their 45-year lifespans. 

These expenditures do not include ongoing maintenance and refits for the rest of the fleet.

The four new vessels are expected to generate approximately 17,200 job-years of employment, $1.2 billion in wages and contribute $2.2 billion to BC’s GDP over their lifespans.

The four aging ships that these vessels will replace are quickly nearing the end of their service lives, each facing more complex mechanical issues and service disruptions as the years go on. 

BC Ferries has added 10 new vessels to its fleet since 2016, including four mid-size Salish Class vessels and six smaller Island Class ships. 

An additional four more Island Class vessels arriving in 2026, and BC Ferries says that all four new major vessels are expected to be in service between 2029and 2031. 

The new ships will all be built with diesel-battery hybrid propulsion systems and designed with the capability to operate on full electric power in future, when electric infrastructure can be introduced at all terminals.