Corvus Energy has been selected as the supplier of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for Statue City Cruises’ ferries servicing the iconic Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island routes in New York Harbor.

Corvus Energy ESS will be integrated aboard Statue City Cruises’ current fleet of nine ferries and will reduce fuel consumption and emissions along the New York/New Jersey waterfront.

Since 2008, Statue City Cruises, which is part of Hornblower’s City Experiences portfolio, has been the official provider of ferry service to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, transporting around 4 million passengers every year. 

Additionally, the National Park Service recently awarded a 10-year contract to Statue City Cruises for the continued operation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry service.

More sustainable ferry transit
The hybridization of the Statue City Cruises fleet demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability. In fact, the parent company of Statue City Cruises, Hornblower Group, has been at the forefront of implementing environmentally conscious, emissions-reducing solutions. They were the first to introduce hybrid-powered passenger ferry service in the United States through their affiliated brand Alcatraz City Cruises.

The Alcatraz City Cruises fleet of hybrid ferries, including the Alcatraz Flyer and Alcatraz Clipper, currently offer transit to Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Both vessels utilize a Corvus ESS and are capable of zero emission, fully electric service. A third vessel, the Hornblower Hybrid, is also in the process of installing a new ESS for fully electric operation.

By leveraging energy-efficient upgrades, including energy storage, Alcatraz City Cruises states their fleet annually saves “over 235,000 gallons [of fuel],” which is “equivalent to taking 450 cars off the road or planting 718 acres of trees” each year.(source)

Greener ferry operations servicing the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
The hybridization of the Statue City Cruises fleet is an important step to reduce emissions and fuel consumption and enables a more sustainable ferry service operation along a key New York/New Jersey route. Rafael Abreu, VP of Sales and Marketing for Statue City Cruises states that “installing energy storage systems onboard our fleet allows us to provide a more sustainable transit to our passengers and will reduce the environmental impact of our operations in the New York/New Jersey region.”

Corvus Energy involvement
The Statue City Cruises ferries will be equipped with Corvus Orca ESS, the most installed marine energy storage system worldwide, used onboard over 700 maritime vessels around the world. The battery system sizes will vary based on the power needs of each vessel. Partnering with Statue City Cruises, Corvus Energy is working side-by-side with system integrator Karl Senner, LLC for the electrical integration of the battery systems.

Battery-powered vessel functions produce zero emissions and require zero fuel, which in turn helps to reduce the environmental impact of the overall vessel operation. Corvus Energy SVP, Americas, Tor-Gunnar Hovig states, “We are very pleased that Statue City Cruises selected Corvus Energy battery systems for the hybridization of their fleet and to help contribute to a more sustainable ferry service on the high-traffic Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty routes.”

In addition to supplying battery systems, Corus Energy will provide ongoing system monitoring and aftermarket services, including remote troubleshooting, spare parts, service engineers, and training for crew members, to support optimized system performance and lifetime.
Advanced battery system monitoring technology

To optimize battery performance over the lifetime of the system, Corvus Energy developed a proprietary cloud-based technology that continuously monitors ESS function and provides real-time performance insights. The online monitoring tool uses big data, machine learning and algorithms based on field-proven data to support predictive maintenance, optimized system use and proactive troubleshooting. A secure digital solution, the Corvus Orca ESS used in conjunction with the Corvus monitoring system was awarded Cyber Security Type Approval from leading maritime classification society, DNV.

Marine electrification in the United States
Within the global maritime sector, adoption of battery and other clean energy technologies is increasing. In the United States, early-adopters like Alcatraz City Cruises and now Statue City Cruises invested to improve energy efficiency and achieve greener operations. In addition to corporate-driven investment, state and federal-based funding for green technologies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program, plays an important role in accelerating the adoption of marine battery technology.

To serve anticipated US-market demand for hybrid/electric solutions, Corvus Energy established a US-based production facility in 2022.