Hybrid-ferries to set sail in Hong Kong waters

Two hybrid double-hull, double-end ferries to operate in Hong Kong from 2024 will have battery and solar power.

Designed by Dutch naval architect CoCo Yachts, the Urban Sprinter 1000 ferries are being surveyed and certified by French marine testing-body, Bureau Veritas.

Both boats will be built by YaGuang Technology Co. Ltd in Zhuhai, China, with aluminium hulls and superstructures. Sun Ferry Services Company Ltd will transport around four million passengers a year between Central Pier and Cheun Chau Pier.

The third decks of both boats will be partly covered by solar panels.

The first ferry will have a hybrid diesel-electric engine and won't produce emissions between pier boundaries while the second will be diesel-electric. Both will have batteries for overnight energy to avoid using diesel generators.

The ferries are intended to be delivered in Q2 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025.