Maritime Minister Lord Davies of Gower discusses the future of shipping on a visit to Wightlink
15th March 2024
Wightlink welcomed Maritime Minister Lord Davies of Gower to its port in Portsmouth to discuss the company’s vision to reach net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible through powering its fleet with sustainable energy. The Minister and Department for Transport officials toured Wightlink’s ferry St Clare and met crew on the Bridge.
Wightlink already operates England’s first hybrid energy vehicle ferry, Victoria of Wight, which entered service in 2018. It uses both powerful batteries and conventional diesel generators as it sails between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. The company is now ambitious to build all-electric ferries, with zero carbon emissions, once shore power can be supplied to recharge the batteries after every crossing.
“The Minister was interested to hear about our plans for the future of our fleet,” says Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield. “We are excited at the prospect of reaching net zero and are ready to commission new ferries once we are assured that electricity can be available at our ports.
“Wightlink is currently installing solar panels to generate power from sunshine and more EV charging points. It is also ramping up its recycling programme and reducing food miles.”
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