Posidonia 2022: DNV memorandum with Saronic Ferries for electric ships in the Saronic Gulf

A memorandum of cooperation for the development of an electric ship in Greece was signed yesterday by the Norwegian Registrar DNV and the shipping company Saronic Ferries, on the sidelines of “Posidonia”, as previously announced by OT.

As pointed out, the use of purely electric or hybrid vessels in the short-haul ferry segment has increased in recent years, as especially for fixed-line vessels, electrical technology offers significant advantages such as CO2 elimination, noise and vibration reduction and compliance with increasingly stringent regulations in operation and ports.

From left Ioannis Chiotopoulos, Iosif Lefakis and Giorgos Papaioannidis

The possibilities

“We manage the largest fleet in the Saronic islands, located just a few miles from the port of Piraeus, the largest port in Greece, where carbon emissions will be very important,” said Iosif Lefakis, a partner at Saronic Ferries. “Our goal is to work with agencies, such as DNV, and to implement the first fully electric ship in Greece, for the Saronic islands,” he added. “Our mission is to operate a clean fleet without emissions by 2040 in all our destinations”, added George Papaioannidis, an associate of Saronic Ferries.

“We have real potential for carbon offsets on ferries in Greece,” said Ioannis Chiotopoulos, SVP, Regional Manager for Southeast Europe, Middle East and Africa, at DNV Maritime.

“Ferries are at the heart of tourism on our islands and as regulations become stricter and the public demands more sustainable ways to enjoy travel, fully electric ferries offer future owners the opportunity to contribute to the green wave sweeping shipping. We are extremely happy to work with Saronic Ferries in these first steps, showing how local companies can take the initiative to get rid of carbon emissions and use new technologies for a cleaner future,” added Mr. Chiotopoulos.