A ferry to Mackinac Island is getting a makeover – and one that could help the state of Michigan reach its climate goals.
The diesel-powered ship is part of Star Line’s fleet in St. Ignace, and state funds will be used to overhaul the vessel and make it battery powered.
Jerry Fetty is CEO of the Star Line ferry service to Mackinac Island. He said this vessel is a perfect candidate for electrification as it needs some work done anyways.
“If we’re going to upgrade it now, we might as well take it into the future, essentially, and apply for the grant,” Fetty said. “And we’re very proud to have received it and we will be the first passenger ferry — in Michigan anyway — to be 100% electric.”
The overhaul should take two to three years, and is funded in part by the state’s Fuel Transformation Program.
Jeff Johnston is a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, which awarded the grant.
“There’s a lot of recent focus on marine electrification, and obviously this is a big step in that direction,” Johnston said. “This is part of a larger effort in the Straits area and northern Michigan in general to focus on converting to electric power for large vessels.”
A grant from the same program will also fund on-shore electricity at a dock near Sault Ste. Marie, where vessels docked overnight will be able to use power without running their diesel engines.
In a statement, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the electric ferry to Mackinac Island will “ensure that this Pure Michigan journey is more cost-effective and sustainable for decades to come.”
Whitmer also said these projects will help the state achieve its goal for carbon-neutrality by 2050.