Wightlink Marks Six Year Anniversary Of Victoria Of Wight With Sustainability Pledge

Six years ago (Friday 10 August 2018) Wightlink’s £30million flagship Victoria of Wight arrived at her home port of Portsmouth after a voyage of more than 3,000 miles from the Cemre shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

Powered by hybrid energy, from a combination of batteries and conventional engines, she can carry up to 178 cars and more than 1,000 passengers on every crossing to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight.

She now sails round the clock, using 20 per cent less fuel and producing 17 per cent fewer carbon emissions than ships of a similar size.

Now, the ferry company is focusing on sustainability and has installed solar panels at its ports in Gunwharf Road Portsmouth, Lymington and Fishbourne.

In the first six months of 2024, 52,085kW of power was generated, enough to boil 473,501 litres of water for 1,894,004 cups of tea or coffee
(based on a 250ml serving).

Wightlink is also looking at installing solar panels on suitable vessels.

Back in 2017, Wightlink’s £45million investment in Victoria of Wight and port improvements to enable double-deck loading made operations more efficient and improved the service.

“Victoria of Wight was a fantastic addition to our fleet, but there is much more to do,” explains Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield.

“Our aim is to introduce all-electric ferries, when suitable shore power is available. We are privileged to sail through some of the more beautiful waters in the UK and have a duty to protect its environment.

"Reducing emissions is key to making shipping more sustainable.”