66 COMMENTARY Taking the lead on sustainability Global trade association Interferry will continue to work with ferry operators and other industry stakeholders worldwide to spearhead the transition to net zero operations 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 hybridelectric 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 wellsuited 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. 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 MIKE CORRIGAN A Canadian former energy industry executive, Mike Corrigan joined Interferry in 2017 after 14 years with BC Ferries – among the world’s largest ferry operators – where he was president and CEO from 2012 Mike Corrigan speaking at Interferry’s 2024 conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, which welcomed a record number of members
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=