Sep 22, 2022
About the Design Lab
BC Ferries operates one of the largest vehicle ferry fleets in the world, with pre-pandemic service levels of 22 million passengers and 8 million vehicles across 35 vessels each year.
BC Ferries announced long-term plans to fully electrify the Island Class vessels and terminals in a significant step to transition the fleet away from fossil fuels and reduce GHG emissions. When fully built out, the Island Class will comprise 1/3 of BC Ferries’ entire fleet. This is potentially one of the most sweeping carbon reduction initiatives in the marine industry worldwide.
We worked closely with BC Ferries staff to write a case study on the project which provided background information for a Decarbonization Design Lab, hosted during the Rising Economy 2021 conference led by the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP).
The final report, Turning the Tide provides a high-level summary of key ideas emerging from the facilitated table discussions during the Design Lab. The discussions and suggestions from participants were summarized in a draft report shared with BC Ferries in January 2022 as they continued to internally discuss next steps of their Island Class Electrification Program.
Since the Design Lab in November 2021, the following progress has been reported:
● Building on a Design Lab recommendation to develop a “proof of concept” with available resources, BC Ferries reviewed the scope of phase one of the program and reduced it from six vessels and nine terminals to four vessels and four terminals. This enables BC Ferries to electrify two routes within two to three years without express reliance on Government of Canada funding. Learnings from this initial phase of electrification will inform and enable future electrification projects and prove technologies that can be scaled to decarbonize their largest vessels. (See Final Report, page 13, Key Takeaways, point 2).
● In line with recommendations to explore new revenue streams to fund the project, BC Ferries has developed a Carbon Reduction Investment Account (CRIA). The CRIA will be funded through the sale of carbon credits to partially support further carbon-reducing infrastructure investments, such as the electrification of the Island Class vessels. (See Final Report, page 11, Key Takeaways).
● Collaboration emerged as a key recommendation around all issues discussed during the Design Lab. BC Ferries will continue collaborating with organizations to develop energy supply chains for this and other large-scale decarbonization projects.
This event was co-hosted with the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) and the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST).
We are grateful to participants of the Decarbonization Design Lab spanning industry, government, academics and community members, for sharing ideas to help accelerate the electrification of the Island Class ferries and terminals. Special thanks go to University of Victoria students who helped with note taking during the discussions.
Experiences at the design lab
“At this critical time for our planet, The Impact Investing Hub’s innovative work to mobilize capital in support of transitioning Canada to a low-carbon, resilient economy is more vital than ever. This organization combines a clear vision with a powerful ability to facilitate connection and collaboration. This was very evident during Rising Economy Week 2021 when our organizations worked together to develop and host BC Ferries’ first Design Lab to come up with ways to support BC Ferries’ goal to fully electrify its terminals and Island Class vessels. The Hub's input and facilitation were critical to the lab’s success.”
Emilie de RosenrollCEO, SIPP
