Cape May-Lewes ferry system to get new hybrid vessel

The Delaware River and Bay Authority secured a $20 million federal grant to help cover the cost of designing and buying a new diesel/electric hybrid ferry for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet.

Since its operations began in 1964, more than 50 million passengers have traversed the 17-mile span between Cape May, N.J., and Lewes, Del., aboard the three-vessel fleet, which welcomes foot traffic, vehicles and bicycles.

The new hybrid ferry is one of 18 projects in 14 states that collectively received $300 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2024 to improve ferry service.

“With this grant in hand, our vessel modernization program can now move forward, with a focus on improving service, reducing operating costs, and transitioning to be more eco-friendly,” Thomas Cook, the authority’s executive director, said in a statement.

The DRBA is an interstate organization that oversees the operation of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and the Forts Ferry Crossing, as well as five airports in Delaware and southern New Jersey. It has been working on developing a more efficient, clean energy fleet for the Cape-May-Lewes Ferry since 2023.

The DRBA estimates the engine design for the new ferry will reduce fuel consumption by 35 percent and cut annual emissions by 2,025 tons of carbon dioxide, 102.7 tons of nitrogen dioxide, 1.51 tons of fine particulate matter, 1.03 tons of hydrocarbons, and five tons of carbon monoxide. 

“Our naval architects are expected to complete the vessel final design package by year’s end,” said Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations. “The DRBA will solicit shipyard bids in early 2025, with construction starting by early next summer.”

The DRBA anticipates that the new vessel will cost $74 million and be operational by the summer of 2027. It will replace the 40-plus-year-old diesel-engine ferry, the MV Cape Henlopen.

At a news conference last week, the DRBA shared renderings of the new ferry, which included a look at the vessel’s exterior and a virtual tour of its interior, giving viewers a walk-through of its decks, including its food court.

“Hundreds of thousands of people depend on this ferry route every year, and I’m glad we are making investments into cleaner operations that our passengers, operators, crew members, and folks who live and work around the terminals can enjoy,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee.