Wightlink is considering installing solar panels on some of its cross-Solent ferries as part of its continued focus on sustainability. It was 6 years ago today – 10th August 2018 – that the firm’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 between Fishbourne and Portsmouth. She now sails round the clock, using 20% less fuel and producing 17% 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 6 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). It has been revealed that Wightlink is also now looking at installing solar panels on suitable vessels. 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. Keith Greenfield, the retiring Chief Executive of Wightlink, says:
“Victoria of Wight was a fantastic addition to our fleet, but there is much more to do. “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.”ollective benefits they provide for people and nature.
So that is why they have no staff they are being employed fitting solar panels
How about considering saving the money to be spent on solar panels and employ more staff to ensure the ships can actually operate across the Solent.
Yes indeed – attach staff to the ships before the solar panels…
Wait for it, instead of insufficient staff it will be lack of sun to charge the battery.
Wightlink aren’t installing solar solely for their image. There is likely to be an economic payback (over the coming decades) in terms of reduced energy/fuel costs, or they wouldn’t spend the money.
Wightlink are making a capital expenditure (I suspect with explicit subsidy or implicit through tax credits), as a one off spend.
Hiring more staff to deliver the service is an ongoing revenue expenditure (money out of the business) for marginal gains on each voyage (increasing “Cost of Goods Sold”, reducing profits). You can make your own assumptions about that outcome.
If you want a better reliability of service, then campaign for a strong compensation scheme that penalises the operator (yes they will try an increase fares to cover)
They are already doing a great job in reducing pollution.
Every return trip cancelled due to a staff member calling in sick saves burning tons of fuel.
Good idea Wightlink .. solar panels Don’t worry about being moored up at weekends for a missing essential member of staff .. makes perfect sense .. to wightlink management!! Brilliant !!
Employ and train more staff, its not rocket science.
But can see the headlines in the winter, ” ferries not running, due to lack of sun”
Excellent distraction PR…
Don’t do it, electric ferries is an absolutely ridiculous idea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-ferry_Ellen in Denmark. Works perfectly well although is a bit smaller than the smallest cross-solent vehicle ferry, but should be possible to scale up to the size needed to cover the Lymington route. There are a few electric passenger boats round the world too. A boat powered by solar panels on the boat itself is not possible with current tech, but can recharge with green energy over the electric grid.
I think the similarly sized, government owned, Cape May-Lewes ferry in the US is looking to go electric with their forthcoming fleet replacement; I wonder if there could be a joint development of the right size of boat
And yet no staff to steer the ferry regardless of power .!!!@!@!@@ hut miss .com
..
Yet more virtue-signalling and greenwash. If they were serious about sustainability, etc, they would adopt hydrogen injection on their diesels. Fuel burns more cleanly, better fuel consumption, much less emission. Unlike more exotic ideas like piping CO2 half way round the country, hydrogen injection is an established technology available in Britain, and easy to fit to big diesels.
The article says, “She now sails round the clock.” Really? Wightlink keeps cancelling sailings.
The best investment they could make is to employ a health professional to ensure their staff are fit and healthy and are less likely to ‘throw a sickie’.
Wrong type of sun, is it?
Hey Wightlink are good value for money (sarcasm).
I travelled back to the Island today,and bag of Biltong beef £7.
My One way travel alone to the Island with a BMW Mini.
Economy ticket £150.!!
And people say the Great Train Robbers were crooks
Lol
The weekday “midnight” boat from Portsmouth is usually under £50 for a fixed ticket.
But the prices during other times are excessive and needs government investigation and remedy.
The service is crap now, say it’s a grim winter without much sun,
the service will be even more unreliable.
Time for IW Council to do their bit and bring
Migrants to the island, they are needed to do
the jobs, the Caulkheads can’t do!.
There are plenty here but don’t see much uptake on employment…
There is not enough, the island needs plenty more to
fill the NHS positions available.
There are enough properties for sale.
The council should purchase them and house the migrants.
So part of your plan would be to only offer them jobs in the NHS?
Don’t you think the NHS is already on it’s knees…
I do agree though the council should purchase the houses and clear the waiting list of those already on it.
Blimey – I must have missed Christmas and New Year – April Fools Day already!!!!)
So Victoria of Wight uses 20% less fuel. Anyone seen a 20% reduction in fares?
No. Only a 20% reduction in services.
It is such a shame that there is no talk about a tunnel. A tunnel would bring the Island back to life..the jobs would be filled, houses would be bought..shops would increase. Ferries are old outdated means of travel. @ £150 one way ticket, who the f88k would want to work or live there.. once one gets across to the Island, they are then prisoners, especially if on the dole.. But obviously the ones that decide on a tunnel are collecting money from the ferries… in my opinion
So true, Numpty Caulkheads don’t have the brain
power to work this out, they are stuck in their
Goldfish bowl and don’t realise that a larger world exists
across the solent.
Fools
The business case for a non-subsidised fixed link is hard to make on any realistic assumptions of use, cost of money, operation costs, and construction costs (see how much HS2 construction costs have inflated since original proposal). If a fixed link had to “self fund” then a fixed link could cost more than the ferry to use.
At the very least would need government backed debt guarantee and no government wants to offer that.
What is out of date is a duopolistic cartel with high barriers to entry; nationalisation of the existing linkspans (loading bridges for vehicles) and regulated port access to allow new entrants on the existing routes (like Open Access trains) could help, at a low cost/low risk to government within 5 years