Six decade-old passenger ferry to Mackinac Island will see big renovations
MACKINAC ISLAND— A major passenger ferry to Mackinac Island will undergo renovations to transition from gas to an electric engine.
During peak season, Mackinac Island will see more than 16,000 people take ferries to and from the island daily. The upcoming renovations are the first step in modernizing the entire ferry system.
The Chippewa is one of 28 ferries that carry passengers and cargo back and forth from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island. It was built in 1962 and installed with two diesel engines in 1998. In its lifetime, the Chippewa has carried thousands of passengers to and from the island, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
Star Line, also known as the Mackinac Island Ferry Company, received a $3.06 million grant to convert the Chippewa from diesel to electric.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awarded the grant as part of the Fuel Transformation Program, which aims to lower gas emissions. EGLE hopes to bring the state to neutral carbon emissions by 2050.
"The program is all about moving forward on climate action," said EGLE public information officer Jeff Johnston. "We want to avert the worst impacts of climate change and build a healthy, prosperous future for all Michiganders."
The money received by Star Line will cover about half of the project cost. The transition from diesel to electric is part of a three-year project that will also see the Chippewa completely redesigned and modernized.
"The ferry is undergoing kind of a complete stem-to-stern makeover by Star Line," Johnston said. "They're taking this 1962 ferry and making it new again."
Over the remaining lifetime of the ship, the switch is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14,152 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and 887 metric tons of nitrogen oxides. After the full modernization, the ferry is expected to increase its passenger carry capacity to about 300 people.
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The project also includes the installation of shore power infrastructure for the ferries, part of electric power upgrades already planned in the ports. These installations will help the Chippewa, but will also help non-converted ferries reduce their emissions while docked.
The goal is to eventually transition all 138 ships in the Upper Great Lakes in the 50- to 200-ton range to electricor hybrid-electric power. The program will also support the establishment of new shipbuilding jobs.
"EGLE feels good about being able to to provide support for a project like this," Johnston said. "I think this really lines up well with how Michiganders value the the world around them the environment that they're part of."
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Six decade-old passenger ferry to Mackinac Island will see big renovations
