Red Funnel fleet success

This comes as the UK Chamber of Shipping is urging the government to review the timing of the impending sulphur regulations in EU Sulphur Emission Control Areas due to their huge economic and wider environmental impact.

Red Funnel says it’s the only cross-Solent vehicle ferry operator which uses low-sulphur fuel on all of its services – something which it has done since 1996.

The company’s fleet of three ro-pax vessels and three high-speed catamarans are all fuelled with 0.1% low-sulphur marine gas oil. Although more expensive, it has saved many tonnes of sulphur being released into the atmosphere over the last 18 years.

“Red Funnel is proud to have reduced its sulphur emissions some 18 years ahead of these statutory regulations and also for the other voluntary initiative which have reduced the environmental impact of our services,” said Kevin George, CEO.

“In 2011, the company was one of the first UK ferry operators to be awarded ISO14001 for its environmental performance,” he added.

Now, the company is supporting the UK Chamber of Shipping’s campaigns which highlights the need to reduce sulphur emissions in a way that protects jobs and businesses. Part of the concern is that the demand and therefore the price of low-sulphur fuel could increase considerably as ship owners weigh up alternative solutions such as installing scrubber technology or converting tonnage to run on LNG.

The additional cost of low-sulphur fuel could also jeopardise the viability of some sea routes and lead to more overland transport which has wider environmental consequences.