Proposals for new hydrogen ferry between Swansea, Devon and Cornwall announced

Swansea Council leader, Rob Stewart has announced plans for a Hydrogen-powered ferry service across the Bristol Channel, linking Swansea with Devon and Cornwall.

In conjunction with councils in the south west of England, Swansea Council would help provide one of the key hubs for the ferry service.

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: “This is an exciting project and we have held a number of exploratory meetings with councils in the south west and we will be able to announce more details after the elections in May.

“This would be a massive boost for tourism and business – to think you could cut your travel time to Devon and Cornwall by half, and of course it would have environmental benefits too: taking cars off the road and introducing green-powered ferries.”

Cllr Stewart added: “This could be linked to the delivery of the Blue Eden project which will generate hydrogen and also deliver new infrastructure which could be utilised for port services.

“Of course, ferries have been a key part of Swansea’s recent maritime history and we are very keen to revitalise this type of service which would be a massive attraction for a coastal city like ours.”

The service would fill a void left by the Swansea Cork ferry which has not run since 2011.

The proposal comes hot on the heels of Cllr Stewart’s announcement of plans to build a new Aquarium in the city alongside the newly-opened Arena.

The ferry service could be delivered alongside the Blue Eden project, which was announced in October last year.

The ground-breaking project proposed for Swansea’s waterfront will include a newly-designed tidal lagoon, featuring state-of-the-art underwater turbines, floating solar, hydrogen generation and 1000’s of new homes as part of a truly integrated renewable energy project.

The lagoon is part of the new Blue Eden integrated energy project that’s being led by Bridgend-based DST Innovations and a number of business partners, with support from the Swansea Labour-controlled Council and Associated British Ports.

Made possible by funding from the private sector, the innovative and economy-boosting Blue Eden will be delivered in three phases over 12 years.

A 60,000 square metre high-tech battery manufacturing plant to be built on land at Langdon Road in SA1 was announced by the council last month as part of the Blue Eden proposals.

(Lead image: Rob Stewart)