Sydney Electric Ferry Trial Set for 2028 After Two-Year Delay

Jarring diesel-powered ferry trips across Sydney Harbour may soon become a thing of the past as the city prepares to trial its first Australian-made, all-electric vessel.

The New South Wales government confirmed contracts have been signed for a 24-meter battery-electric ferry, with a 12-month trial scheduled to begin in 2028 — two years later than originally planned. The vessel is expected to enter passenger service in 2029 on a new route serving the Sydney fish market.

NSW Transport Minister John Graham said the trial will inform the transition of Sydney’s entire ferry fleet from diesel propulsion, a goal originally set for 2035.

“This Northern Beaches-designed, Australian-built ferry will provide a quieter ride and cleaner air on the harbour,” he said.

In 2024, the Minns government announced plans to replace Sydney’s fleet of 40 diesel-powered ferries with Australian-made, electric or hydrogen-powered vessels by 2035. However, the electric trial’s start date has slipped two years from the project’s proposed early 2026 launch.

Despite the target, the government said no decision has been made on investing in additional electric ferries, as the outcome will depend on the success of the trial conducted by Transport for NSW and private operator Transdev.

Transport for NSW Coordinator General Howard Collins said testing will assess the vessel’s reliability and charging systems — to be installed at Barangaroo wharf — under real-world conditions, including feedback from passengers and crew.

Construction of the trial vessel is set to begin later this year at Tasmanian shipyard Richardson Devine Marine, which built the seven Parramatta River Class ferries that have been launched in stages since May 2024.

The electric ferry is modeled on the same design by Sydney-based naval architects Incat Crowther.

As of January, the diesel-powered River Class vessels, designed to be convertible to electric propulsion, have fully replaced retiring RiverCat and SuperCat vessels after three decades of service.

The new Sydney fish market opened at the start of this year, offering flowers, pizza, bánh mì, and artisan cheese, but lacks a ferry service. In January, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that marketgoers would have to wait at least a year to travel there by ferry, with a $30 million wharf still in the design stage.

The government has committed to net-zero emissions across its public transport operations by 2035. Last month it announced that all-electric bus, train, and light rail services would run on fully renewable energy from next year under a new $1.9 billion deal.

However, fossil fuels still power most of the state’s public buses, as well as diesel ferries and intercity and regional trains.

The government has ordered more than 500 electric buses, with hundreds already in operation, and expects to order 7,500 more to fully replace the 8,000-strong diesel bus fleet.

In March, the NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner found that Transport for NSW had not taken reasonable steps to engage with groups affected by the potential use of forced labor in Xinjiang, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in supply chains for lithium-ion batteries.