Ferries: the future is electric

In our cover interview with Incat Tasmania chairman Robert Clifford, it is clear he believes that major power for ferries going forward is battery power, declaring, “Many ferries travel for under 160 km, and I believe these will all be electric in five to 10 years.”

There are also several new contracts that reveal the rapid development of electric power within the ferry sector. For example, as covered by our Incat feature, Brittany Ferries, Incat Tasmania and Wärtsilä have unveiled a milestone collaboration for a zero-emissions vessel.

The collaboration will explore designs and technical requirements for the craft. Incat explains several critical aspects will be examined in exploring key requirements for the vessel, such as energy efficiency, optimising weight and evaluating the latest advances in battery technology and other future fuels, to provide the necessary range and power.

And in May this year, DFDS announced it is investing in six electric ferries for the Channel. The first two electric vessels will be in operation by 2030, while the rest are expected to follow before 2035.

Our newbuildings and orderbook feature also highlights the dominance of batteries within the ferry sector. According to DNV Alternative Fuels Insight, there are currently 346 car and passenger ferries that use electric propulsion, with 98 on the orderbook. This puts the sector at the top of the list of all shipping segments when it comes to batteries.

And in this issue’s Last Word, Interferry chief executive Mike Corrigan emphasises the crucial need for onshore power supply as the ferry sector’s prime emissions-cutting catalyst. He highlights several obstacles to the availability of onshore power supply, and to this extent, Interferry is lobbying governments, port authorities and electricity utilities to prioritise onshore power supply (OPS) development. 

Whie there is no doubt the provision of OPS is making advances, in terms of availability and the advancement of technology, there are challenges spanning regulation, standardisation and investment. 

While the IEC 80005 standard was established in 2012, there is a need for more globally standardised practices to enable compatibility across ports and vessels.

Nevertheless, there is movement on this. For example, Port of Rotterdam is focusing on working with international partners to establish global technical standards. 

The Reducing emissions from shipping in ports; examining the barriers to shore power report by British Ports Association says the main barrier is capital costs. “A green maritime fund to support shore power in the UK is clearly needed to help meet prohibitive costs, particularly around energy networks and generation.” 

Regulation is also important. Europe is ahead of other locations, as it has regulation that states all main European Union ports must install shoreside electricity by 2030. This is lacking in other areas around the world. 

While there are obstacles to overcome, there is traction towards solving these, and electric power looks set to keep growing within the ferry sector.