Ferries make up a vital part of the EU’s transport system, transporting goods and people, and offering lifeline services to remote regions. Yet the sector's aging fleet of almost 2,000 vessels spends over 60% of their time within five nautical miles of densely populated port areas, contributing significantly to coastal air pollution and causing 15.3 Mt GHG emissions.

While many oceangoing ships will have to rely on sustainable fuels, the smaller size of ferries and their predictable routes mean that electrification will offer a competitive alternative: 52% of existing ferries could rely on battery-electric propulsion by 2035, T&E assess in the report.

For 20%, this switch could be cheaper than fossil fuels already in 2025. Conventional ferries cause between 15 times and over 100 times more air pollution near major coastal cities like Dublin, Belfast, Piraeus, or Las Palmas than those cities’ passenger cars. Requirements for charging infrastructure are the main barrier to adoption, though 57% of ports will require only smaller chargers below 5 MW for a demand of below 5 GWh, T&E points out.

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