At the Posidonia 2022 trade fair, classification society DNV signed a memorandum of understanding(MOU) with Saronic Ferries designed to enable the development of an electric ferry for local deployment in Greece. The collaboration is targeted towards a fully electric concept for deployment on short sea passenger routes in the Argosaronikos area.
The use of all-electric or hybrid vessels in the short sea ferry segment has surged in recent years as the benefits of the technology has been demonstrated in pilots and full-scale deployments. For ferries on fixed routes in particular, electric technology offers significant benefits - eliminating onboard emissions to air, reducing noise and vibration, and providing compliance with increasingly strict regulations in operation and in ports.
DNV has been a “first mover” on batteries, establishing the first industry rules for battery propulsion, and working with many customers to enable efficient and successful transitions to electric propulsion. DNV has continued to develop a network of experts in Norway and around the world with extensive experience in batteries, battery control systems, which can be drawn on for the local market through the Piraeus office. In addition, as the initiator and lead of the Norwegian Green Shipping Programme, DNV has been working for many years on bringing together maritime stakeholders to escalate the deployment of green vessels, most notably the country’s fleet of short sea ferries.
Greece also has a great deal of potential to power electric ferries with renewable energy. The available resource in terms of offshore wind and solar power, both fixed and floating, is significant. Combining these offers the possibility of developing a new “Greek green corridor”, resulting not only in fleet decarbonization but creating local expertise and new business opportunities.