Low-Wake Electric River Ferry Concept (Unbuilt)

This concept explores a low-wake, battery-electric ferry designed for shallow, environmentally sensitive river operations, where safety, coexistence, and infrastructure restraint are primary design drivers.

Hull form, propulsion and manoeuvrability

The hull form was optimised using CFD to minimise wake generation in shallow water, allowing operation at reduced speeds without disproportionate shoreline or seagrass impacts. Rather than relying on speed, the design uses high manoeuvrability to maintain timetable performance, avoiding the need for turning manoeuvres that concentrate propeller wash and increase interaction risk near shore.

Azimuthing nozzle thrusters provide high low-speed thrust and precise control, enabling double-ended operation without turning. This reduces required water space, improves safety around swimmers, rowers, sailors and other vulnerable users, and supports reliable operations in confined waterways.

Operations, charging and modular infrastructure

Vessel operations, charging strategy, and terminal design were treated as a single system. The ferry is designed around low overall power demand, allowing energy draw to be spread across multiple trips rather than relying on short-duration, high-power opportunistic charging.

This enables charging to be integrated into the operating timetable, reducing dependency on large electrical connections and avoiding high-risk charging strategies that can drive infrastructure complexity and operational fragility.

The concept includes a floating pontoon with integrated charging, making the terminal system modular. Because electrical demand is modest, the pontoon and charging infrastructure can be relocated or reconfigured with minimal works, enabling route changes or staged deployment without locking the system into permanent, high-impact installations.

Cost, risk and buildability

By combining a low-wake hull, high manoeuvrability, and restrained electrical infrastructure, the overall system cost is substantially lower than high-power, fixed-terminal baseline concepts. Systems selection is deliberately conservative, prioritising ease of construction, certification, and long-term operational reliability.

Although unbuilt, the concept demonstrates an alternative approach to electric ferry deployment in constrained urban waterways, where safety, environmental protection, flexibility, and whole-of-system cost must be balanced.