75 A rendering of BC Ferries’ hybrid-electric Summit Arbutus, which is expected to enter service by 2031. Mike Corrigan expects the next few years to see numerous changes as more fleets adopt hybrid and battery systems Europe, they realise the benefit of good regulation; it helps everyone to grow and survive.” Reflecting on Interferry’s achievements over the last five decades, Corrigan highlights the organisation’s longevity and diverse membership. “You can’t dismiss the fact we’ve held a conference almost every year for 50 years; that’s pretty amazing,” he says. “Our diverse membership is also a point of pride; we represent everything from family-owned passenger-only ferry services right up to mega companies, such as Grimaldi Lines or GNV, which operate big ro-pax and ro-ro ferries. Interferry brings together and represent all segments of our membership.” Interferry has also worked hard to advance safety, which remains a core priority. Its FerrySafe initiative, for example, was created to identify and help resolve safety issues on domestic routes in developing nations. “We’ve been to Africa and the Asia-Pacific region a number of times and the project is gaining more traction, so that’s definitely going to be a priority for us for the next 10 to 20 years,” says Corrigan Corrigan believes the next few years will see numerous changes, especially as the industry transitions towards achieving zero emissions in line with EU regulations. He says one of the biggest barriers to progress is lack of shore power facilities in ports. “Operators have hybrid-LNG systems and batterypowered vessels in their fleets, but many destinations lack the necessary infrastructure; it’s the missing link in the whole equation,” he says. “Some of our operators have told us that it doesn’t matter whether they’re in Scandinavia, Canada or the USA, it’s going to take 10 years to get the right infrastructure at their docks, quays and terminals to be able to electrify their fleets.” The financial impact of environmental regulation is another growing concern for ferry operators, which is why Interferry is increasing its focus on ensuring revenues generated through “ Our diverse membership is a point of pride; we represent everything from family-owned passengeronly ferry services right up to mega companies” Image: BC Ferries
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