Ferries need onshore power as quickly as possible; Interferry ramps up efforts to increase it
Interferry is focusing efforts on boosting the onshore power supply for ferry operators. Highlighting the urgency of this aim, Interferry chief executive Mike Corrigan said in the regulatory update at Interferry’s annual conference in Seattle, “The push right now is for the onshore power supply.”
He said, “We are focusing our efforts on regulation as it is related to greenhouse gases and upcoming regulations for 2023 and 2030.”
Interferry is pushing to get electricity to the quayside, terminals and docks as quickly as they can so operators can plug in their vessels.
Mr Corrigan said, “Because of the duration of our trips, our part of the shipping industry more than any other part needs electrification to make it work. We spend a lot of money on vessels to convert them to hybrid and electricity but we need to be able to plug them in as well.”
Otherwise, he warned, “The challenge is that if we don’t, we potentially won’t be able to meet the 2030 regulation.”
To have access to onshore power as quickly as possible, Interferry is increasing regulatory efforts to lobby for onshore power supply, creating more awareness of this need, and having conversations with CLIA.
Interferry has also signed a co-operation agreement with the European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA).
Mr Corrigan explained why this was important. “The EU is becoming more important in conversations around regulations as it gets frustrated sometimes that IMO is too slow.
“We have to be hand-in-hand with both, and ECSA allows us to do that.”
Mr Corrigan commented, “We are spending considerably more time with them in Brussels.”
Riviera Maritime Media has a comprehensive conference programme for the rest of 2022 and will provide free technical and operational webinars in 2023.
