BC Ferries chooses Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels

BC Ferries said it has chosen a Chinese shipyard to build its four new major vessels.

The company, China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards (CMI Weihai), was chosen following bid evaluations, international site visits and third-party reference checks.

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

“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 is replacing some of the oldest ferries in its fleet with new vessels to prepare for future growth and improve service reliability.

6:43 BC Ferries on delivering reliable service during the busy summer season

The corporation had proposed the construction of five new vessels, but the BC Ferry Commission only approved four.

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The first new vessel is expected to enter service in 2029.

CMI Weihai has built passenger and vehicle vessels for large international operators, including Stena RoRo (Sweden) and Grimaldi Lines (Italy), according to BC Ferries.

It has also built vessels for Canada’s Marine Atlantic ferry company and other major ferry companies in France.

“BC Ferries will have our own professional team of shipbuilding experts onsite at the shipyard throughout construction to provide ongoing oversight and quality assurance,” Ed Hooper, BC Ferries’ Head of Fleet Renewal, said in a statement.

“Our team inspected the CMI Weihai shipyard as part of the selection process, and the scale and scope of the operations was impressive. Safety is our highest value, and our in-person evaluations focused on safety management, quality systems, engineering capability, materials storage and handling, production facilities, environmental protection, and even the dedicated space for our on-site team, among other factors.”

The new ferries will be built with diesel-battery hybrid propulsion systems and designed with the capability to operate on full electric power in the future.