Brittany Ferries Secures 20-Year Portsmouth Port Agreement

Cross-Channel ferry operator Brittany Ferries has entered into a new 20-year agreement to operate from a port on the south coast. This arrangement ensures the French company will maintain its cross-Channel services from the council-owned port in Portsmouth through 2044. Portsmouth City Council stated that this agreement is projected to generate £200 million for the city over the course of the two decades. Annually, Brittany Ferries transports 1.5 million passengers and 200,000 lorries via Portsmouth to destinations in France and Spain. However, tourist volumes have not yet fully rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels. Efforts are currently in progress at the port to enhance the National Grid power supply. This initiative aims to allow ferries and cruise ships to connect to shoreside electricity while docked, thereby enabling them to switch off their primary engines and decrease pollution. The upgraded infrastructure will permit three vessels simultaneously to charge their batteries, utilizing an amount of power comparable to half of the city’s total energy usage. This work is scheduled for completion in time for the arrival of the first of Brittany Ferries’ new Chinese-built ships, which are set to begin transporting passengers starting in February. According to BBC understanding, the port contract does not mandate the ferry company to purchase electricity. This is because the cost of shoreside power is anticipated to be considerably higher than operating its liquefied natural gas-fuelled engines while docked. Councillor Steve Pitt, who serves as the leader of Portsmouth City Council, commented: “Our relationship with Brittany Ferries is hugely significant for the city, especially since they have been with the port when it began operating in 1976.” Brittany Ferries, which holds a majority stake in Condor Ferries, a company that serves the Channel Islands, also conducts operations from the ports of Plymouth and Poole.