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A scene of a historic city by the sea with boats on the water. We can see a turreted building on the shore and a ferry on the water

Six years since Victoria of Wight arrived, Wightlink focuses on sustainability

8th August 2024

Six years ago (Friday 10 August 2018) Wightlink’s £30million flagship Victoria of Wight arrived at her home port of Portsmouth after a voyage of more than 3,000 miles from the Cemre shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

Powered by hybrid energy, from a combination of batteries and conventional engines, she can carry up to 178 cars and more than 1,000 passengers on every crossing to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. She now sails round the clock, using 20 per cent less fuel and producing 17 per cent fewer carbon emissions than ships of a similar size.

Now, the ferry company is focusing on sustainability and has installed solar panels at its ports in Gunwharf Road Portsmouth, Lymington and Fishbourne. In the first six months of 2024, 52,085kW of power was generated, enough to boil 473,501 litres of water for 1,894,004 cups of tea or coffee (based on a 250ml serving). Wightlink is also looking at installing solar panels on suitable vessels.

Back in 2017, Wightlink’s £45million investment in Victoria of Wight and port improvements to enable double-deck loading made operations more efficient and improved the service. In July 2024, reliability was 99.3 per cent with punctuality at 94 per cent. This was a factor in the award of Gold in the British Travel Awards Best UK Ferry Operator category in 2023.

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Wightlink is also involved in increasing recycling rates, removing single-use plastics whenever possible, installing EV charging points and buying local wherever possible from Island suppliers such as Briddlesford Farm Dairy and Grace’s Bakery.

“Victoria of Wight was a fantastic addition to our fleet, but there is much more to do,” explains Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield. “Our aim is to introduce all-electric ferries, when suitable shore power is available. We are privileged to sail through some of the more beautiful waters in the UK and have a duty to protect its environment. Reducing emissions is key to making shipping more sustainable.”

As part of its ongoing Green Solent Project, Wightlink has teamed up with several environmental organisations. Blue Marine Foundation has installed oyster nurseries at Lymington port, University of Portsmouth marine scientists have placed cuttlefish habitats under Ryde Pier and at Portsmouth Harbour to gain new insights into the lives of the marine molluscs, Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation  transport young white-tailed eagles from Scotland for release on the Isle of Wight on Wightlink ferries. The ferry company is a corporate partner of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, supporting its reserves team to cross the Solent and to rewild the Island’s natural environment.

Wightlink also supports the Solent Seascape Project, working to restore, protect and connect nature within the Solent. In July 2024, it was endorsed as an official United Nations Decade Action as an initiative that contributes towards international goals for the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity. This is the first seascape-scale marine restoration project in the UK. It is unique as it recognises the critical role of connectivity across key habitats – salt marshes, seagrass beds, oyster reefs and seabird sites – due to the collective benefits they provide for people and nature.