News
Top national award for Wightlink’s hybrid flagship
Monday December 2nd, 2019
Wightlink is celebrating winning a top environmental award for its £30million hybrid energy ferry Victoria of Wight.
Founder of MyGreenPod.com, Jarvis Smith, presented the People. Environment. Achievement. (P.E.A.) trophy for the Travel category to Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield at the company’s Portsmouth car ferry terminal.
Latest statistics from the European Maritime Safety Agency show Victoria of Wight is the most energy-efficient passenger ferry in the UK*. That means she is burning less fuel and releasing less carbon dioxide into the environment than all other ferries around our shores.
Combining powerful batteries and conventional engines, she is using up to 17% less fuel than Wightlink’s next similar-sized ferry St Clare.
The P.E.A. Awards, in association with Octopus Energy, honour the individuals and teams behind the products, services and businesses that are changing the face of our planet.
Jarvis Smith says: “We were impressed by Victoria of Wight’s green credentials. As England’s first hybrid ferry, she uses both batteries and conventional engines to run efficiently and cut emissions. Wightlink staff are building on this achievement by operating as sustainably as possible, buying locally and working with regional environmental organisations to highlight issues.
“Through their own passion and dedication, P.E.A. Award winners are venturing where governments and big business fear to tread, forging a blueprint for what conscious businesses and lifestyles of the future could look like.”
Keith Greenfield adds: “We were delighted to be recognised for our achievements up to now in progressing Wightlink’s Green Agenda. We have pledged to do all we can to protect the sea, land and air around us by keeping the Solent clean, recycling as much as possible and reducing waste and emissions. We will announce more initiatives in 2020.”
*All ships over 5000 gross tonnes calling at ports in the European Union have to submit fuel efficiency data to the European Commission. The database can be found here: mrv.emsa.europa.eu Submissions on the database can be filtered by type of ship eg ro-pax and then ordered by emissions per nautical mile.
