For Immediate Release
Houston, Texas – October 3rd, 2019 – In 2017, The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) was awarded a five-year Indefinite Deliverable contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TSGI was tasked to provide the detail design of a double-ended diesel-electric ferry with energy storage capable of carrying construction 495 passengers / 70 cars, providing service from Galveston Island to Bolivar Peninsula. The ferry is currently being built at Gulf Island Shipyard in Jennings, Louisiana. TSGI will provide construction oversight to TxDOT during the entire construction process.
The diesel-electric with energy storage system will be provided by Siemens utilizing their Bluedrive PlusC technology with 1.4MWHr of energy storage to increase the safety and and reliability of the vessel. This system will deliver power to a pair of Voith Schneider cycloidal propellers via electric motors.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 293’ x 66’ x 16’
- Capacity: 70 Car / 495 Passengers
- Propulsion: Diesel Electric with Energy Storage
- Propellers: Voith Schneider
The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) is the global leader for design of inland towboats, ferries and barges. We have a rich history of providing naval architecture, marine engineering and marine surveying services to the marine industry, with a focus on the inland sector.
