DFDS to deploy battery-powered vessels in the English Channel

Danish ferry operator DFDS has committed to deploying a fleet of battery-powered vessels in the English Channel by 2030.

PHOTO: DFDS’ chief executive Torben Carlsen, French Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad Olivier Becht and DFDS’ executive vice president for ferry division Mathieu Girardin (from left to right). DFDS

The decision comes on the heels of a meeting between the French Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht and chief executive of DFDS, Torben Carlsen, to discuss “decarbonisation of the shipping sector and the electrification of maritime traffic across the English Channel.”

The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It is one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world as it links two of the biggest economies and accounts for “33% of the trade between the EU and the UK.”

DFDS believes that the relatively short distance of the channel makes it optimal for electric ferry transport.

The company, however, recognises that “the green transition of maritime transport not only relies on the ships at sea.”

“A sufficient power supply on land and infrastructure to accommodate recharging facilities in ports are equally important to be able to complete the fleet electrification,” DFDS adds.

To this end, in March, DFDS collaborated with a group of ports along the English Channel to electrify ferry traffic on the Strait of Dover part of the channel.

“The green transition is a complex challenge that requires all hands on deck. We need support from public authorities, infrastructure parties, utility providers, customers, and suppliers,” DFDS’ chief executive Torben Carlsen reiterates.

By Tuhin Roy

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