Within Stena Group, our research are on-going and we are always open to trying different ways of making our services more sustainable. Some of the alternative fuels we are researching include:
Battery-electric
We are working together with Stena Teknik on the development of the concept Stena Elektra with the ambition of making it possible to launch a fully electric ferry by 2030. This will however require the development of infrastructure to charge the ferry in both ports on a specific route so we are in continuous discussions with authorities and other external stakeholders to ensure that the charging capacity is secured prior to going ahead with the project.
Methanol
Apart from the methanol-powered Stena Germanica – the first on the market – we have an ambition to convert several other vessels to methanol. The methanol used today is based on fossil fuels.
We are also developing partnerships with producers of sustainably produced methanol (e.g., Liquid Wind/FlagshipONE) to secure the supply of renewable methanol required for our long-term targets to shift to carbon neutral fuels.
We cannot comment on a timeline for these fuels today however the use of methanol fuels is a cornerstone in our future strategy.
Biodiesel
We regard biodiesel as the most realistic tool to achieve a positive impact on emissions in the short term. Together with Stena Teknik and Stena Oil we are working to secure that the B30 diesel quality is compatible with our current powertrains as well as ensuring that it is available in the volumes we would need for our operations.
We cannot provide a timeline for introduction at this point but will come back with an update as we progress with our plans.
The price for new fuel types heavily depends on the balance between supply and demand so we cannot comment on figures at this point, however the current price difference is significant.