A greater mix of alternative fuels and power will be seen next year within cruise ships and ferries as they journey towards zero emissions, with options ranging from electricity, hydrogen and LNG to biogas
2022 is electric
The use of battery power is already established within the conventional ferry sector – a trend that will dominate even more next year, and batteries will become more prominent within the fast ferry and cruise sector.
Weight and size of the battery pack has always been a challenge for the fast ferry sector, where the aim is to have the craft as light as possible. But as batteries are becoming lighter and smaller, I predict there will be more fast ferry contracts announced next year. For example, we have seen a number of new initiatives this year – from the announcement of the first all-electric ferry for Auckland to Incat’s range of vessel concepts, not only fast ferries but also harbour passenger ferries and larger ropax – that will pave the way for further announcements and contracts next year.
There are also projects underway to boost shore power which will enable the development of more electric ferries, including the Dover Clean Ferry Power project which is moving forward with plans to explore electrifying cross-Channel ferries.
Cruise ships will also benefit from plans to boost shore power, including Norwegian company Havnekraft awarding shore-power supplier Zinus a contract to develop a shore-power system for cruise ships calling at Haugesund Cruise Port.
While the use of battery power is much more challenging in a cruise ship compared with a ferry, the development of shore power and some of the newbuilds we have seen this year suggest more contracts will be announced next year. For example, Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot will lead the way with its mix of LNG and batteries, while Swan Hellenic’s SH Minerva is battery-ready, for when batteries are more developed, and I think being battery ready is something we will see more of next year.
Furthermore, renewable electricity, will, I believe, grow as a trend. Stena Shipping & Ferries chief executive Carl-Johan Hagman said “…the most efficient use of renewable electricity is to use it directly without converting it to something else. That is why the development of batteries is so important and we believe renewable electricity can serve as the sole source of energy for shorter crossings. For longer crossings, it can play a role as a complement to other types of fuels like methanol.”
Biogas to become bigger
Aside from electricity, I expect to see the use of biogas within passenger shipping increase. Wasaline’s newbuild Aurora Botnia uses liquefied biogas alongside LNG and batteries and plans are afoot by other operators to convert at a later date to biogas – for example Viking Line’s LNG-fuelled vessels. Ponant has a supplier ready to deliver biogas and expects to be able to start to use this fuel in 2022 for Le Commandant Charcot.
LNG is an important fuel choice within the global cruise and ferry fleet and will allow a smooth transition to biogas as the same technology and infrastructure can be used.
LNG contracts to continue
And for this reason, too, I expect LNG to carry on being used dominantly in the passenger ship sector is 2022. Using LNG allows operators to transition to decarbonisation with the option to use biogas. The LNG infrastructure and availability is far beyond other alternative fuels and has proved a good choice for passenger ships, especially for larger ropax and cruise vessels.
And LNG newbuildings continue – just at the end of 2021 Brittany Ferries announced it had taken delivery of LNG-powered Salamanca, the second of five E-Flexer class ferries ordered by Stena RoRo and chartered by Brittany Ferries.
Mixing it up
As well as batteries, LNG and biogas, methanol and hydrogen will also play an increasing role within the passenger ship sector. The mix of alternative power options being used will be even more varied next year, not just within different operations, and within single fleets, but also within singular ships themselves. This is something we have seen this year, including the mix of batteries, LNG and biogas for Aurora Botnia and batteries and LNG in Le Commandant Charcot. In 2022, we will see more contracts announced for newbuilds that include a mix of alternative power.
Source: riviera
