Page 18: of Marine News Magazine (January 2025)

17 19

Column

Ferry Spotlight

Facing up to a World of Challenges

CEO Mike Corrigan outlines Interferry’s mountain of objectives – including a game-changing campaign to keep ferries front and center in reducing GHG emissions.

Interferry’s origins stem from typical crossings lasting between 30 minutes and two hours, the launch of a knowledge-sharing US networking initia- ferry operators are already the prime trailblazers in adopting tive in 1976. Those relatively modest roots have grown battery-based propulsion. However, the long-term future of beyond recognition into a highly respected global trade their pioneering energy transition depends overwhelmingly association with membership exceeding 270 companies – on the urgent expansion of Onshore Power Supply (OPS).

operators and suppliers – in more than 40 countries. Interferry has been lobbying governments, port authori-

We have consultative status at the International Mari- ties and electricity suppliers to prioritize OPS development time Organization (IMO) and similar in? uence with many for the past two years. Intensifying this campaign will be more of the world’s maritime governance authorities. As the among our foremost objectives in 2025. The potential voice of the ferry community, the association acts on a huge emissions savings are massive due to the worldwide scale range of regulatory and policy issues that feature in our of passenger and freight ferry services. At the last count, 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and which also set the theme for annual carryings totalled some 4.3 billion passengers – on our 48th annual conference held in Marrakech, Morocco, par with airlines – as well as 373 million vehicles.

last October – Safety, Security and Sustainability. Currently, OPS deployment often lags up to ten years be-

Environmental sustainability represents the ferry sector’s hind shipboard battery installations … and most existing most immediate challenge. Replacing fossil fuels with al- facilities cater only for ‘cold ironing’ consumption at berth. ternative energy sources is crucial to meeting the ultra-de- Our lobbying notes that increasing capacity to enable charg- manding IMO target of a 20-30% cut in maritime GHG ing of propulsion batteries will reduce the GHG footprint of emissions by 2030 – the prelude to net zero by 2050. ferries and ease demand for the limited supplies of alterna-

Electri? cation offers an unrivalled solution for ferries. With tive fuels. We also stress that governments should reinvest a © Raw2Cut / Adobestock 18 | MN January 2025