P&O Ferries reduces 2022 carbon footprint by 9 per cent

British ferry operator P&O Ferries has revealed it has reduced its carbon footprint by 9 per cent through maximizing the efficiency of sailings and with the help of new partnership.

Specifically, the company slashed its carbon output by 85,000 tons, which marks its “best-ever sustainability performance”, P&O Ferries noted.

“I am delighted that we have made outstanding progress in reducing our carbon footprint in 2022 and can promise that we shall do everything we can to eliminate another 40,000 tons from our operation in the next three years,” Peter Hebblethwaite, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said.

“The lion’s share of the reduction is attributable to our innovative space charter agreement signed with our competitor DFDS 18 months ago, whereby we make freight space on our Dover-Calais ships available to one another to maintain customer service levels on the route and ensure its continued resilience.”

The company further explained that installing new propellers on one of the Irish Sea ships reduced drag and efficiency, which saved 7% of carbon emissions. Furthermore, the Larne-Cairnryan timetable has been optimised which led to a 3.6% reduction. 

The announcement came as the ferry operator is preparing to welcome two new super ferries on the English Channel.

The firm signed a contract with China’s shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International worth $286.13 million to construct a new generation of ships. The vessels will be powered by the Wärtsilä 31 4-stroke diesel engines. The engine is said to have a high level of fuel efficiency and to reduce exhaust emissions.

The new ships are expected to cut fuel use by 40% through a combination of fuel and battery propulsion, making them the most sustainable ferries ever to sail on the English Channel, according to P&O Ferries/

“The space charter with DFDS will mean we will sail 9,000 times on the English Channel in 2023, down from 16,000 times in 2019, the last comparable year,” the company concluded.