Red Funnel plans to order three new vehicle ferries to replace its ageing fleet, including the 30-year-old Red Falcon and Red Osprey. The new vessels, expected to cost around £100m, will be smaller and more agile but will offer similar capacity. The tender for shipyards to build the ferries will be issued later this year, with a possibility of them being built in the UK. The new ferries are part of an investment to address criticism of the company’s service in recent years.
Source: BBC
A new solar-powered ferry service is set to launch for the Isle of Wight, spearheaded by Wight Gateway Limited. The all-electric ferries will connect Ryde and Portsmouth and are expected to be built locally, powered by a dedicated solar farm. This initiative aims to improve local connectivity and economic benefits. The Ryde terminal will be developed on WGL-owned land, and Portsmouth International Port will provide a ferry berth. The project has strong community support and seeks National Significant Infrastructure Project designation.
For more details, you can read the full article here (source: On The Wight)
An article from NRK Vestland reports that several Norwegian counties are dropping emission requirements for new ferry and fast boat contracts due to the lack of promised financial support from the government. Although the government pledged to mandate low or zero emissions for new vessels and compensate for additional costs, these commitments remain unfulfilled. As a result, contracts are being awarded without environmental stipulations, potentially hindering Norway’s efforts to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030. This shift is causing concern among environmental advocates and local officials.
For more details, you can read the full article here in Norwegian, or this article written by Maritime Clean Tech in English.
This move aligns with CLdN’s ongoing efforts to explore and implement alternative fuels and propulsion systems, including battery technology, to reduce CO2 emissions. CLdN aims to leverage the forum’s resources and expertise to further integrate battery technology in its operations. The Maritime Battery Forum promotes energy storage technologies in the maritime industry and supports the transition to zero-emission solutions.
The latest vessels under construction will be equipped with two conventional main engines as well as two large shaft generators of 6 MW each, which can be used for generating power or for electric propulsion. In full electric mode, the ships will be able to achieve a cruising speed of 16-17 kn. The vessels, which will be delivered in 2025, have a high degree of flexibility allowing for a seamless integration of new fuels, fuel cells and/or battery technology in the future.
Source: www.maritimebatteryforum.com
Brittany Ferries, Wärtsilä, and Incat have partnered to develop a 137m zero-emissions ferry, leveraging their combined expertise. This project aims to explore design and technical requirements for electric ferries, focusing on short routes as a potential path to net-zero emissions by 2050. The collaboration follows Brittany Ferries’ investment in LNG-powered and hybrid vessels. This initiative underscores the companies’ commitment to sustainable maritime transport and decarbonization, with Brittany Ferries’ CEO highlighting the importance of trusted partners in achieving these goals.
For more details, you can visit the full article on Brittany Ferries’ newsroom.
Fjord1 has contracted Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to develop systems for automation of vessel functions and autonomous navigation for the four autonomous, zero-emission ferries that will operate the Lavik-Oppedal crossing on the northwest coast of Norway.
The ferry crossing takes 20 minutes, and the route is 5.6 kilometres long.
In close collaboration with Fjord1, NES will develop and deliver the systems for automation of vessel functions and autonomous navigation, including autocrossing and autodocking, that will replace some manual operations on board.
The four newbuild zero emission ferries will operate the route from 1 September 2026 onwards. Complete implementation of automation functions and autonomous systems, including autocrossing and autodocking, will happen from January 2027, while autonomous navigation will be implemented in 2028.
Read more: Norwegian Electric Systems
With the exception of Grimaldi’s ro-ro GG5G ships, which are testing the technology, all the other ferries equipped with battery systems onboard are not allowed to use them. Local branches of the Coast Guard in several Italian ports are not giving the green light due to a lack of dedicated rules and laws.”
This complaint was expressed by Lorenzo Matacena, CEO of Caronte & Tourist, during the Business Meeting for ferries and RoRo operators organised by Shipping Italy in Naples.
The owner highlighted the fact that today there are several companies investing in batteries (not only Caronte & Tourist but also RFI, Liberty Lines, Actv, etc.), but all the ships and HSC equipped with new technologies aimed at decarbonising maritime transport cannot reach the goal.
All the involved shipping companies asked local maritime authorities to address and resolve the matter as urgently as possible.
Port of Oostende is actively opposing the planned wind turbine park near Dunkirk, as it threatens the Dyckroute, a crucial maritime route linking Oostende with the UK. Despite diplomatic efforts, France persists with the project, jeopardising Oostende’s economic interests. The port demands an immediate halt or relocation of the project to protect navigation rights and regional economy. If unresolved, they urge the Belgian government to pursue international legal action against France.
Port of Oostende, once a busy ferry port, has new RoRo traffic linked to Toyota.
Terminal San Giorgio, a terminal operator of the Port of Genoa controlled by the Gavio Group and the home port for Grimaldi Group’s motorways of the seas to and from Northern Italy, is to be purchased by Ignazio Messina & C. The green light to close the deal has just been given by the Italian Antitrust Authority, which expressed its positive vote but set some specific conditions.
Among them, Ignazio Messina & C., a company jointly controlled by MSC (with a 49% stake), will be obliged to maintain, for the next two years, the same berths, same calls, and some pricing applied up to date to Grimaldi Deep Sea and Grimaldi Euromed’s RoRo traffic.
Last year, Terminal San Giorgio handled 2,350,000 lane metres of RoRo traffic, an increase of 4% compared to 2022.
The Scottish Government has extended the current contract for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) by one year. This extension allows more time to complete the due diligence process necessary for the proposed direct award to CalMac. The final decision on the contract award is pending further complex considerations. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, emphasized the need for thoroughness and assured that a further update will be provided to Parliament later in the year.
For more details, you can visit the official announcement.