New York City government receives 1st barge delivery of renewable diesel for Staten Island Ferry

Photo: New York City Department of Transportation

New York City’s Department of Transportation and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services announced June 17 the official start of the Staten Island Ferry's transition to renewable diesel, marked by the delivery of the first barge of fuel to the ferry system.

This first shipment, totaling 336,000 gallons, begins the full replacement of petroleum diesel with a more sustainable alternative.

The Staten Island Ferry fleet uses approximately 4.5 million gallons of fuel each year, and the transition supports the city’s commitment to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 percent in 2030.

“New York City has one of the best ferry systems in the world, and the Staten Island Ferry is no exception,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Today, we take the next step to modernize this critical fleet by transitioning to sustainable, renewable diesel.”

Keith Kerman, the DCAS deputy commissioner and NYC chief fleet officer, added, “In the last three years, DCAS Fleet worked with each agency operating trucks to coordinate the transition to cleaner renewable diesel. We are now doing the same with the city’s vessel programs ... By July 2026, all city trucks and vessels will use renewable diesel and be powered by used cooking oil and waste tallow.”

In October, DCAS and NYC DOT first announced plans to test the use of renewable diesel with the ferry fleet, following the successful transition of the city’s heavy-duty and off-road vehicles.

Since then, the agencies have successfully used more than 1.1 million gallons of renewable diesel across the ferry fleet.

While inspecting internal engine components, NYC DOT found that using renewable diesel led to cleaner equipment with less carbon buildup compared to previous inspections conducted at similar times using petroleum diesel.

The renewable fuel being used is primarily made from waste materials, such as cooking oil and tallow.

In March, DCAS finalized a new fuel contract to support this transition, marking the first renewable diesel contract that references the Argus RD index price for the New York Harbor, ensuring that the fuel aligns with the market value.

DCAS is also working closely with other agencies to further expand the use of renewable diesel across the city’s marine operations, including the Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Police Department Harbor Patrol, NYC Parks Marinas, and the New York City Fire Department to test the fuel and expand usage further.

To date, the city has used 27 million gallons of renewable diesel across its fleet and ferries, ranging from diesel-vehicle units, on and off road, and nonemergency vehicles.

The city’s goal is to transition all municipal vessels by June 30, 2026.