Video: Niagara Falls e-ferries start service

A pair of electric tour boats have been approved to start operating at Niagara Falls on the US/Canadian border on October 6, the Maid of the Mist boats launching ABB enabled sustainable power for the new generation of vessels.

The electric propulsion means passengers can experience a natural wonder without engine noise, fumes and vibrations.

The zero-emission ferries – named the James V Glynn and the Nikola Tesla respectively after the Maid of the Mist chairman and the renowned energy pioneer – are the first all-electric vessels built in the US.

Power is drawn from a high-capacity battery pack supplied and integrated by ABB which also supplied a comprehensive integrated power and propulsion solution for the newbuild vessels, including an onshore charging system.

“Maid of the Mist has always evolved with the technology, and we are thrilled to open a new page in our company’s history, moving our fleet to zero-emission operation,” Maid of the Mist Corp president Christopher M Glynn says.

“Close collaboration with ABB has been instrumental in making this project a success, and we are proud of what we were able to accomplish together.”

ABB Marine and Ports Division president Juha Koskela says the vessels confirm growing acceptance of all-electric vessel propulsion.

The James V Glynn and Nikola Tesla are each powered by a pair of battery packs providing 316kWh total capacity divided across two catamaran hulls.

The batteries allow the electric propulsion motors to reach an output of up to 400kW, with the power setup controlled by ABB’s Power and Energy Management System.

They are charged in seven minutes during boarding and disembarkation, using locally produced hydroelectricity.

Having installed the ship-to-shore battery charging connection, ABB also supplied the boats with a comprehensive scope of electric, digital and connected solutions including switchboards, drives and the integrated control system, in addition to the ABB Ability Marine Remote Diagnostic System for monitoring and predictive maintenance.

New Zealand is also working on e-ferries in Wellington and Auckland.