Stena focuses on future fuels to cut emissions

Stena Rederi technical director Ron Gerlach said the group has extended shore power to ferries across the network as part of its decarbonisation strategy.

Future roro ships will have hybrid propulsion with larger battery packs, he said at Riviera Maritime Media’s Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference 2023 in Bergen, Norway.

Stena is also using digitalisation to improve operational efficiency on its ferries and roro ships, by monitoring freight flows and demand for its vessels, then adjusting schedules accordingly.

Mr Gerlach said ship navigation has been improved by using artificial intelligence and weather routeing.

“We are very much focused on future fuels and operational efficiency,” he said. “We have looked into using sails on board and developed AI pilot for guiding support to our captains, based on weather routeing systems and how ships perform in various sea states.”

Stena was a pioneer in adopting methanol, converting the first ship in 2014. Mr Gerlach said methanol provides flexibility as it can include biofuels or those synthesised using renewable energy.

“Methanol offers the flexibility to mix blue and green into the grey methanol to stay within compliance and make sure we keep our ships operating,” he said. “Methanol is our focus, as is electrification.”

Stena has been expanding its access to shore power in ports across the network since the 1990s. “All of our ships are running on, or are capable of running on, shore power. Going forward, we will be looking at hybrid systems.”