The ferry companies' race for green crossings

Protecting the environment has become a major public concern. The transport network has had to undergo profound changes in order to keep up with the pace of our society. Ferry companies are no exception.

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that a ferry crossing has a fairly low carbon footprint compared with air travel. However, there is still room for improvement.

1/ All-electricity: a utopia?

When you read the title of this article, you probably thought of that energy that’s been all over the news. Electricity, far less polluting than marine diesel, is a limited source of energy once at sea. To propel a ship averaging 140m in length, the power required is considerable. To avoid any loss in quality of life on board, or in speed, ferries would have to be equipped with very large batteries. This would inevitably mean a considerable increase in the ship’s weight.

However, the electric ferry still has a bright future ahead of it! In view of shorter distances and fewer passengers, it is possible to equip smaller vessels with all-electric power. Such is the case of the Movitz, a Swedish boat that sails in Stockholm Bay. It can carry up to 120 passengers (NB: average of 1,200 passengers on a conventional ferry) thanks to two electric motors.

🍃 Without diesel engines, carbon emissions are reduced by 132 tonnes* of CO2 and 1.5 tonnes* of nitrous oxide!

Not yet operational on the biggest ships, electric power has a bright future ahead of it, if infrastructures continue to evolve in the right direction.

2/ The proposal: a hydrogen engine

he idea comes from Norway. The project is profoundly ambitious, and could revolutionize the future of the “green” ferry. In partnership with Norwegian Ship Design, Thorghatten Nord is building two mega-ferries, each 117m long and able to accommodate up to 599 passengers.

These unique vessels will feature the largest hydrogen system ever installed on a ship. For propulsion, they will both be “multi-hybrid”, i.e. combining hydrogen-electricity and, in a second phase, diesel-electricity.

In the world of sea freight, this technology already exists. Since last February, the H2 Barge 1, a river container ship, has been operating between Rotterdam and BCTN’s Meerhout river terminal. Measuring 110m in length, it has high hopes for Norway’s two mega-ferries. The success of H2 Barge 1 opens the door for the French market to repeat the construction of such a carrier to navigate the Seine. In September 2023, Europe validated the project!