ABB Powers Tourists to the Niagara Falls with First US Built All-Electric Vessels
3.5.2019 18:45:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Niagara Falls tour operator Maid of the Mist orders two new passenger vessels sailing on pure electric power, enabled by ABB’s technology
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190503005349/en/
Maid of the Mist new passenger vessels sailing on pure electric power, enabled by ABB's technology (Photo: Business Wire)
Visitors to the iconic Niagara Falls will soon be able to experience one of the US’s top landmarks emission-free. Two new Maid of the Mist passenger vessels will be powered entirely by high-capacity battery packs, becoming the first all-electric vessels ever built in the US.
The new vessels will benefit from ABB’s zero-emission technology when they start operating later this year, allowing guests to experience Niagara Falls undisturbed by engine noise, vibration or exhaust fumes from a conventional diesel engine.
Maid of the Mist, one of North America’s oldest tourist attractions, operates from April through to the first week of November, with boats departing for the base of Niagara Falls every 30 minutes, with an estimated 1.6 million guests on board annually.
“We are thrilled to be the US’s first vessel owner to add all-electric ferries to our fleet,” said Christopher M. Glynn, president of Maid of the Mist Corp. “We have chosen ABB to support us in our journey towards more sustainable operation based on their unparalleled experience in marine system integration, as well as efficient and innovative technologies for sustainable transportation.”
“Maid of the Mist’s decisive move towards e-mobility signals a new era in the future of transportation and complements ABB’s commitment to power the world without consuming the earth,” said Peter Terwiesch, President of the Industrial Automation business at ABB, which offers solutions for a wide range of industries, including marine. “Reducing emissions at Niagara Falls is not only important for the natural landmark, but also proves that the technologies enabling sustainable mobility are already available today.”
Each of the vessels will be powered by a pair of battery packs with a total capacity of 316 kWh, split evenly between two catamaran hulls. Having two fully independent power systems on board will increase the resilience of operations by creating a redundancy.
The vessels will charge between every trip while passengers disembark and board. Shoreside charging will only take seven minutes, allowing the batteries to power the electric propulsion motors capable of a total 400 kW (563 HP) output. The power setup will be controlled by ABB’s integrated Power and Energy Management System (PEMS), which will optimize the energy use on board.
The batteries will be charged using hydropower – the largest single renewable energy source for electricity generation in the US, which accounts for 7 percent of the country’s total utility-scale electricity generation. The use of locally produced renewable power will make the energy cycle for the operation of the new Maid of the Mist vessels entirely emission-free.
Sustainable transportation has a crucial role in the fight against climate change, with shipping accounting for 2 to 3 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping, has set a global target to cut annual emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 from 2008 levels.
In addition to integrating the ship-to-shore battery charging connection, ABB will supply the Maid of the Mist newbuilding project with switchboards, drives and the integrated control system, as well as the ABB Ability™ Marine Remote Diagnostic System for remote equipment monitoring and predictive maintenance. ABB Ability™ is ABB’s leading offering of digital solutions and services.
To watch the video, click here.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader with a comprehensive offering for digital industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is today a leader in digital industries with four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by its common ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s market leading Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190503005349/en/
Contact information
ABB Ltd
Affolternstrasse 44
8050 Zurich
Switzerland
Media
Relations
Phone: +41 43 317 71 11
Email: media.relations@ch.abb.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Shaping a Generation Through Dialogue: Inside the Doha Debates Ambassador Program20.7.2026 14:29:00 EEST | Press release
In a world shaped by change and competing narratives, the ability to listen, question and engage in constructive dialogue has never been more critical. Through the Doha Debates Ambassador Program, a production of Qatar Foundation, young people from around the world are not only learning these skills, but actively applying them in their communities, careers and areas of study. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720452437/en/ Shaping a Generation Through Dialogue: Inside the Doha Debates Ambassador Program. Applications are open for young people from around the world to learn to engage and lead through truth-seeking conversations about complex global issues. (Photo: AETOSWire) This online educational program teaches young people from across the globe to debate differently. Rather than engaging in a Western-style battle of ideas, participants take an approach to dialogue that is grounded in the Majlis—a welcoming
Kinaxis Appoints Herb Yeh as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer20.7.2026 14:01:00 EEST | Press release
Kinaxis® Inc. (TSX:KXS), a global leader in supply chain planning and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Herb Yeh as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, effective July 27, 2026. In this role, Yeh will oversee the global finance organization and corporate strategy operations at Kinaxis, leading all Finance, Accounting, Investor Relations, Corporate Strategy, and Corporate Development. He will work closely with the executive leadership team and Board of Directors to support disciplined execution, long-term growth, and shareholder value creation. "Herb has spent his career working with boards and management teams at their most critical inflection points in enterprise software, and we are thrilled to have him join Kinaxis," said Razat Gaurav, Chief Executive Officer of Kinaxis. "He has followed Kinaxis and the broader supply chain technology sector closely for more than a decade, and that depth of perspective, paired with his expertise advising companies on c
IFF Announces Agreement to Sell Its Portfolio of Botanical Extracts, Vitamins & Minerals and Food Enhancement Activities to SuanNutra, a Portfolio Company of Carbyne Equity Partners.20.7.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF) — a global leader in flavors, fragrances, and health and biosciences — today announced that it has entered into an agreement with SuanNutra, a Carbyne Equity Partners portfolio company and global provider of science-backed branded and functional ingredients, to sell its portfolio of botanical extracts, vitamins and minerals, and food enhancement activities, including its range of natural colors and antioxidants and certain localized flavor activities in Peru. The portfolio serves a broad range of food, beverage and nutritional end markets through a comprehensive selection of customized solutions. “These businesses are highly respected, and we are confident they will continue to thrive under the ownership of SuanNutra and Carbyne,” said Erik Fyrwald, CEO IFF. “This transaction is another step in optimizing our portfolio and reinforces our focus on our core innovation-led businesses — Taste, Scent and Health & Biosciences — where we see the greatest opportunities to drive
NIQ Appoints Irina Stoian as Chief AI Commercial Officer20.7.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
NIQ today announced that Irina Stoian has joined the company as Chief AI Commercial Officer, a newly created role designed to accelerate NIQ’s enterprise AI commercial strategy and help clients turn the company’s AI capabilities into business impact and growth. Stoian will help align Product, Technology, Commercial, Partnerships, and Marketing around a unified AI growth strategy. Her remit includes shaping commercial AI offerings, strategic partnerships, pricing and business models, and deeper integration of NIQ capabilities into client workflows. The appointment builds on NIQ’s broader AI strategy, which positions the company as a trusted intelligence infrastructure powering AI-driven commerce. Across its AI portfolio, including ConnectAI, NIQ Optiq™, and NIQ Cadence™, NIQ is expanding how clients access trusted data, intelligence, and AI-powered workflows. “AI is not a feature we are adding to NIQ; it is core to our product strategy,” said Jim Peck, Chief Executive Officer of NIQ. “I
Wolters Kluwer Named Top Vendor Law Firm SaaS Solution Provider in the DACH Region for 202720.7.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Wolters Kluwer’s Legal & Regulatory has been recognized as a top vendor for Law Firm SaaS Solutions in the DACH region for 2027, according to the latest Vendor Selection Matrix™ by Research in Action. Kleos, the company's cloud-native legal practice management platform, achieved a shared first-place position in the ranking and received the highest scores for customer satisfaction, value for money and customer recommendation among surveyed law firms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The recognition builds on the platform's earlier pan-European leadership position and reinforces Kleos' standing as one of Europe's leading legal practice management solutions. "We are proud to be recognized as a leading provider of Law Firm SaaS Solutions in the DACH region,” said Sergio Liscia, Vice President Legal Software at Wolters Kluwer. “What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is that it reflects the experience of legal professionals themselves. Achieving the highest ratings for custom
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom