Journey to emission-free ferries

[@drain_001]

Stoked for this. Thanks for the leadership!

[@HansQuistorff]

Have you considered flow batteries where you pump out discharged electrolyte and pump in charged electrolyte while unloading/loading. The electrolyte can then be recharged until the next landing. This would reduce sudden demand on the electric grid.

[@wsdot]

These type of battery systems have not yet been developed as a commercially available solution for marine applications. We will continue to monitor industry trends as we pursue our electrification plans.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

NiFe Edison batteries last 10x longer than deep cycle marine lead acid batteries @wsdot and local battery makers using the same equipment can make the Nickel Iron batteries in the same cases as the large marine PbA batteries with very little low cost equipment mods.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

LiFePO4 or Lithium Iron Phosphate are excellent too, with very long cycle & calendar life in deep cycle marine applications to compete against AGM PbA @@wsdot

[@me-bg7nh]

are the spokane and walla walla going to be retrofitted with hybrid electric technology?

[@brianbrwa]

Wanna ride it now? Kingston-Edmonds runs one. Or maybe I'm in a temporal field... Anyway, in my memory, it charges at Kingston, runs battery-dominant and is 5 knots faster.

[@ryanbottem6628]

Exciting project!

[@AaronSchwarz42]

DME can be used like propane in diesel engines, they do it in class 8 trucks in Korea. It's cheap at $1/gal & easy to make with bacteria or special yeast at industrial quantities using existing methods & equipment that can easily procured. DME like propane has to be stored in pressurized steel painted for corrosion prevention tanks, or similar CuNi alloy marine grade pressure vessels & piping that resists sea water corrosion. The fueling system of the marine diesel can be easily retrofitted with a DME fueling system, sorta like the way many German people retrofit their passenger cars from gasoline to propane to lower their fuel costs & emissions.

[@ecospider5]

Interesting idea.

[@plant_trees_kg]

AWESOME!!👏🌎