Global ferry electrification accelerates: 70% of new orders go electric

From the article:

Seventy percent of ferries currently on order globally now feature electric drivetrains, a remarkable shift underscoring just how rapidly maritime transportation is decarbonizing. Norway has about 70 electric ferries running already, and there are likely north of 200 globally. There are about 15,400 ferries in operation around the world, new ones are overwhelmingly being purchased with electric drivetrains, and most operators have electric retrofit plans for existing vessels.

This transition, which seemed speculative just a decade ago, has moved swiftly from niche experiments in sustainability to mainstream procurement decisions, and the industry is now firmly on a trajectory toward large-scale electrification. The launch of vessels such as the China Zorrilla catamaran ferry, designed to operate between Argentina and Uruguay on a 200 km route at 25 knots multiple times a day, exemplifies the accelerating trend.

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Multiple factors have aligned to propel this electrification forward. International regulations led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) now impose stringent targets for maritime emissions reduction, pushing operators to shift their capital investments toward cleaner alternatives. The technological maturity and declining costs of battery systems of varying chemistries have significantly altered the economics of electric propulsion. The capital cost gap between traditional diesel-powered ferries and battery-electric vessels is narrowing, while operational savings in fuel and maintenance rapidly offset any remaining premium.

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Following Norway’s lead, neighboring Denmark and Sweden have launched substantial electric ferry projects, embedding electric propulsion deeply into their maritime transport strategies.

In Asia, China has unsurprisingly emerged as a formidable player, leveraging state-backed investments and strategic industrial policies to become a leading producer and consumer of electric ferries, albeit still lagging Europe. China’s extensive inland waterways, coupled with its intense focus on reducing urban air pollution, have spurred widespread deployment of electric ferries in urban river crossings and coastal areas. Numbers are hard to find, as is true for ferries in general, but numbers out of China are always harder to get hold of.