Destination Gotland has bunkered BioLNG for the first time, using the renewable fuel on its ferry services ahead of the summer season and Almedalen Week.
The Swedish-produced BioLNG is supplied by St1 Biokraft and bunkered in the Port of Visby in cooperation with Avenir. While the availability of Swedish BioLNG remains limited, Destination Gotland says the initiative marks another step in its long-term strategy to reduce emissions from its Baltic ferry operations.
Italy’s antitrust authority has approved the sale of Terminal San Giorgio in Genoa to Ignazio Messina & C., ending a three-year review. However, the approval comes with strict conditions, including the removal of MSC from Messina’s decision-making process and the conversion of Terminal San Giorgio into a joint-stock company. Grimaldi Group, which uses the terminal as its Genoa hub for Motorways of the Sea services, continues to oppose the transaction.
Molslinjen has selected BOS Power to supply the two battery energy storage systems that will support its future electric high-speed catamarans on the Kattegat routes.
The supplier selection was carried out with technical support from Hybrid Greentech, which has advised Molslinjen throughout the project.
The two battery systems, located in Aarhus and Odden, will each have a capacity of 118 MWh. They will enable the ferries to recharge during 30-minute port calls by combining electricity from the grid with stored energy. Each ferry will charge at 15 kV AC and up to 55 MW, receiving approximately 25 MWh of energy before its next crossing.
The battery systems will also provide backup capacity, storing enough energy for three to four ferry crossings should the electricity supply be disrupted.
The three electric catamarans, currently under construction at Incat in Australia, are scheduled to enter service from spring 2028. The project is expected to become the world’s largest maritime electrification programme.
Once all three ferries are in operation, annual CO₂ emissions are expected to be reduced by 132,000 tonnes. The ferries and associated shore infrastructure represent a total investment of DKK 3.5 billion. The value of the battery storage contract has not been disclosed.
From 1 July 2026, the UK will formally begin extending its Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) to the maritime sector, with the wider framework expected to expand to international voyages from 2028 following consultation.
For ferry operators serving routes across the English Channel and the North Sea, the UK ETS adds another regulatory layer alongside the EU ETS and the forthcoming Entry/Exit System (EES). As the UK develops its own carbon-pricing regime for international shipping, operators on UK–EU routes will increasingly need to manage compliance under both UK and EU emissions trading systems.
At its annual meeting in Rome, Italian shipowners’ association Assarmatori, whose members include Moby, GNV and several other short-sea ferry operators, criticised a new regulatory measure requiring ETS funds for fleet renewal to be spent exclusively on newbuildings or vessel retrofits at European shipyards.
Calling the geographical restriction “nonsense”, Assarmatori Chairman Stefano Messina said it was the reason why Italy’s 2021–2022 Fleet Renewal Decree largely failed, with only a small portion of the EUR 500 million budget being used.
According to the association, European shipyards lack the capacity to build most commercial vessels, apart from naval ships, cruise vessels and, to a limited extent, ferries. Assarmatori argues that Italian operators can renew their fleets only if they are free to place orders outside Europe.
