By
Mike Corrigan |
Environmental sustainability remains at the core of Interferry’s lobbying and networking mission in 2025 as the maritime industry draws ever closer to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ultra-challenging target of a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
The ferry sector is already a leader in driving the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. Notably, with typical ferry crossings taking between 30 minutes and two hours, electrification offers a potentially game-changing option for operators, who are pioneering battery-based propulsion through full-electric or hybrid-electric power systems.
Such initiatives exemplify the ferry community’s commitment to the call for a greener future. Now more than ever, this has to be matched by decision-makers whose support on funding and infrastructure is crucial to achieving the long-term goal of decarbonisation. And that is why Interferry is launching the Ferry Sustainable Showcase – a platform on our website promoting the ferry sector’s key role in the quest for zero emissions.
Our membership of around 280 companies in more than 40 countries includes both operators and suppliers, and we are inviting them to submit details of their most progressive technical and operational sustainability projects. Joint operator/supplier submissions are especially welcomed as a further sign of Interferry’s collaborative ‘All Aboard’ creed that adds impact to all our activity.
Ferries can champion sustainable maritime transport because, by serving regular routes and schedules, they are particularly well-suited to test and perfect clean and efficient technologies. We’re looking for insights on every type of sustainability solution, such as shoreside power integration, retrofits to upgrade fuel efficiency, alternative fuel conversions, sustainable ship and interiors construction, and operational efficiency improvements ranging from waste reduction to route optimisation and the application of artificial intelligence tools.
Denmark’s Copenhagen Malmö Port is one of several European ports that has already invested in shore power facilities for passenger ferries and other vessels
Regarding electrification, urgent expansion of shore power supply is pivotal to driving greater uptake of battery propulsion. Capacity at most existing facilities is only sufficient for cold ironing in port, a woefully inadequate situation that clearly inhibits orders for battery-powered newbuilds. Almost three years ago we unveiled a campaign lobbying governments, port authorities and electricity suppliers to prioritise investment in shore power development, stressing that a grid upgrade to enable charging of propulsion batteries would not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ferries, but also reduce demand for the limited availability of alternative fuels.
Shoreside stakeholders in Europe, the USA and Canada are gradually taking the required action, and we aim to intensify our campaign to ensure the trend gathers significant pace. We see the European Shipping Summit 2025, scheduled for Brussels, Belgium, in March, as a major opportunity to do that. We will arrange for political and industry panellists to answer provocative questions on shore power – like who pays for the high-power grid connections, and whether governments should dedicate a fair proportion of revenues from carbon tax schemes to shore power provision.
On an encouraging note, Port Boulogne Calais in France, which serves the vital Calais-Dover cross-Channel ferry link with the UK, has announced plans to become the first port in the world to offer 100 megawatts of shoreside electrical power. A contract with the high-voltage network Reseau de Transport d’Electricite will provide up to three ships with 20 to 35 megawatts of power, enabling them to recharge simultaneously in 45 minutes. The system is due to be available for fully electric ship operation from 2030, with the eventual aim of full carbon neutrality on the route by 2035. Here’s hoping for similar advances across the globe!
Learn more about Interferry’s Ferry Sustainable Showcase on the Interferry website.
Discover more insights like this in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Don’t miss out – subscribe for FREE and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.