Green hybrid-power research vessel runs aground

The Univ of Victoria assembled $20.5 million to develop a hybrid green ship only to scuttle the project in July when the bids for the retrofit for a former coast guard vessel came in about 40% higher than expected. Primary funders of the research project are Canada Foundation for Innovation, BC Knowledge Development Fund and Western Economic Diversification. UVic had acquired the Tsekoa II from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and planned to retrofit it so that it could be powered by a combination of electricity, hydrogen fuel cells and low-emission diesel fuel with Ballard Fuel Systems and Techsol Marine as project partners. The ship was to be used as a coastal research facility, service vehicle for the Ocean Networks Canada Observatory and floating testbed for new hybrid power technology. The ship will be sold off and UVic is searching for a more suitable vessel….