Brittany Ferries, a shareholder of Condor Ferries, has started working on zero-emissions ferry project.

Brittany Ferries has signed a partnership deal with Wärtsilä and Incat to explore the design and technical requirements for a 137m zero-emissions craft.

The companies have worked together in the past.

Wärtsilä is a supplier to all five new ships in Brittany Ferries’ ongoing fleet renewal project - which has seen five new vessels joining the fleet between 2020 and 2025 - including electric hybrids.

Brittany Ferries took delivery of an Incat fast-ferry in 2005. She is operating as the Condor Voyager on the Channel Islands to St Malo routes.

Christophe Mathieu, CEO of both Brittany Ferries and Condor, says ferries play a vital role in meeting the growing demand for environmentally sustainable transport options.

“This is an important project as we look at different ways to reach net-zero by 2050.

All-electric power is a potential solution, best suited to shorter ferry routes.

At this stage we don’t know what is feasible, and upon which route, but what we can say is that trusted partners will help us scope it out.

Brittany Ferries has a track record of walking the talk when it comes to leading the industry on sustainable ferry travel, as our investment in LNG and hybrid ships shows.”

It follows an announcement last month from Condor's potential rival bidder for the contract to operate the Channel Islands routes beyond March 2025.

Shipping firm DFDS said that it had commissioned a design study for a hybrid electric vessel it would deploy here it it wins the tender.