Six new ships have already entered service in the past two years, with the additional investments set to bring the total number of hybrid-powered ferries to 17.
“This industry-wide investment is great news for the millions of travellers who value comfort, space and value for money but are also mindful of their environmental impact,” said Abby Penlington, director of Discover Ferries. “The new vessels are important milestones in our journey towards a net-zero industry which operates across 80 passenger ferry routes from the British Isles.”
A new commuter service due to launch in 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is among the hybrid-powered vessels that are scheduled to be introduced. The ship is under development by the Belfast Maritime Consortium with Condor Ferries and is designed to fly above the water and use 90 per cent less energy than a conventional ferry.
Two new ships for P&O Ferries, launching in 2023, are designed to run on battery power once charging infrastructure is installed in ports. Hybrid vessels are also in development for routes operated by Brittany Ferries, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Isles of Scilly Travel, Caledonian MacBrayne, Wightlink and Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which is set to launch the UK’s first high-speed hybrid ferries in 2023.
Stena Line is also developing a new generation of its E-flexer vessels, which will be dual-fuel methanol hybrids. The new ships are set to operate on routes between Harwich, England, and the Hook of Holland, and from Belfast to Cairnryan, Scotland.
Caledonian MacBrayne are desperate to just get any ferries. This is a long-running story in Scotland where the island communities are suffering from the unreliability of their essential connections to the mainland. This is due to aging ferries and massive delays in getting replacements. The Scottish Government even nationalised the Clyde yard building them but that’s had little impact on expected delivery dates
Two electric ‘flying’ passenger ferries are to be trialled in Orkney for three years.
The £15.5m funding for the vessels – which have the hull above the water – comes from the UK Government’s Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure Fund, which is aimed at decarbonising the maritime sector.
The hydrofoil vessels are being supplied by Belfast-based Artemis Technologies for a three-year trial and will be on a route between Kirkwall, Westray, Eday, Sanday and Stronsay.
One will be capable of carrying 12 passengers, and will travel between Kirkwall, Shapinsay, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. A larger vessel is capable of carrying 50 people and some light cargo.
Both are fully electric and the charging infrastructure is set to be installed over the winter.
Aleks
Don’t hydrofoils have “problems” when the sea gets rough – as it does – a lot – around the Northern Isles?
@GregT To me it resembles a Boeing jetfoil which did have that problem on the Oostende run.
Shetlands and Orkneys are becoming testbeds for UKs decarbonisation to replace the oil sector. They have wind and tidal generation.
During both World Wars Scapa Flow was used by the home-fleet as a safe anchorage because of the calm waters. The inter-island ferries are the smaller vessels operated by Orkney Ferries.
The crossings over the sea to the mainland are run by Pentland & Northlink operating large car ferries.