CHC Fact Sheet: Ferries
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Background
- Ferries transport passengers or vehicles, operating between two points over the most direct water route. Ferries include vessels operated by public or private companies, on both regularly scheduled and on-demand bases.
- CARB staff has identified a subset of ferries that operate on shorter runs, referred to as “short-run ferries.” Short-run ferries include vessels that provide regularly scheduled ferry service between two points that are less than three nautical miles apart.
- High-speed ferries (catamaran and monohull) are designed to be light and fast. Operating the engines at a high load continuously while transiting requires larger and/or higher power-density engines.
- There are ~71 ferry vessels statewide, with ~250 engines, spread across different air basins.
Ferry Vessel Population in the Year 2023
Vessel Location | Catamaran Vessel Population | Monohull Vessel Population | Short-Run Vessel Population |
Statewide | 35 | 20 | 16 |
South Coast | 5 | 8 | 7 |
San Diego | 0 | 2 | 2 |
San Francisco Bay Area | 23 | 9 | 6 |
South Central Coast | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Sacramento Valley | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Emissions
- Ferry vessels are one of the largest emitting categories of commercial harbor craft. Although they only represent 2 percent of the harbor craft population, they emit 11 percent of total commercial harbor craft PM2.5 emissions, and 15 percent of total commercial harbor craft oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions.
- Under the Proposed Amendments, PM2.5 emissions from ferry vessels would decrease by 85 percent, and NOx emissions would decrease by 68 percent by 2031.
Proposed Amendments
- Under the Proposed Amendments, both new and in-use short-run ferries operating in Regulated California Waters (i.e., 24 nautical miles from the coast) would be required to upgrade to full zero-emission vessels by December 31, 2025.
- All other ferry vessels operating in Regulated California Waters would be subject to the following in-use performance standards:
- use of Tier 4 engines equipped with diesel particulate filters (DPF).
- if engines are rated below 600 kilowatts (kW) and Tier 4 engines are not available, Tier 3 engines equipped with DPFs.
Compliance Exceptions and Extensions
- Initial compliance dates, by which vessel owner/operators would need to upgrade engines or apply for extensions, are summarized below.
- Short-run ferries are not eligible for feasibility extensions of 6-8 years, but are eligible for up to 2 x 1-year extensions related to infrastructure delays.
Compliance dates for non-short run ferry vessels would phase in between 2024 and 2029, with possible compliance extensions delaying upgrades until 2031 to 2034. Short-run ferries have a compliance deadline for transitioning to full zero-emission operation by December 31, 2025, with possible extensions deferring compliance until 2027.
- Vessels operating under low-hour use thresholds within 24 nautical miles of the coast do not have to repower or retrofit their vessels.
Engine Tier | Pre-Tier 1 | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
Limits – All Other Areas | 80 | 300 | 400 | 700 |
Limits – DACs3 | 40 | 150 | 200 | 350 |
Cost Metrics
- The average ticket price can vary depending on the location and length of the trip. Estimated ticket increases would be between $0.98-$1.84.
Cost Metric | Average Ticket Cost Increase |
Cost Per Passenger – High‑Speed Ferry, One-Way Trip | $1.92 |
Cost Per Passenger – Short‑Run Ferry, One-Way Trip | $0.98 |
Note: This analysis assumes costs are completely passed through to paying customers.