Alcatraz Ferries Go Electric!

Alcatraz City Cruises developed two plug-in hybrid ferries to travel to the island

Photo from National Park Service

Alcatraz Island is GGNRA’s most visited site, welcoming a million and a half visitors per year. All visitors come to the island on ferries operated by Alcatraz City Cruises (ACC), one of the park’s concessioners. ACC has recently retrofitted their two primary vessels with 1,446 KWh of battery capacity, adding energy storage to the solar panels and wind turbines on each of the vessels.

The two plug-in electric ferries, the Alcatraz Clipper and the Alcatraz Flyer, embark from Pier 33 in San Francisco, where they charge the on-board batteries at the dock. The vessels can run solely on electric power until the batteries are depleted, at which point the diesel engines must power the vessel. At present, a trip to the island is 12-15 minutes and up to five roundtrips can be made from battery power alone. Running on battery power provides a quieter traveling experience, especially noticeable during the two tours each evening that feature live narration while the ferry circles the island before returning to the dock.

Moreover, to ensure that the ferries receive the cleanest energy, ACC purchases power from SF Water Power and Sewer/ Hetch Hetchy Power, generated from emissions-free sources such as solar, hydro-electric and biogas.

In the near future, ACC plans to install faster 12KV charging infrastructure at its Pier 33 loading dock in San Francisco; ACC and the park hope to have the new charging infrastructure in place before summer. The fast-chargers will make it possible to power each ferry by renewable energy only, as boats will be able to plug in and re-charge between runs while passengers are boarding and un-boarding. Alcatraz City Cruises will also be retrofitting a third vessel to be hybrid electric. This vessel will be used on a 90-minute Park Cruise in San Francisco Bay and the concessioner anticipates at least 50% of the trip will be under electric power.

The electrification of these vessels has been facilitated by stipulations in the concessions contract between the National Park Service and Alcatraz City Cruises. These improvements underscore the concessioner’s commitment to electrify its fleet and invest in a lower carbon future.

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