Member

Wightlink alone carries two-thirds of the island’s passengers and 55% of its freight, alongside providing indispensable support for emergency services, particularly as the island’s only hospital relies increasingly on specialist facilities in Southampton and Portsmouth. Yet Wightlink faces a serious dilemma. Two of its vessels exceed the 5,000 gross tonnes ETS threshold. One is a hybrid ferry, built specifically to reduce emissions, at a cost of some £30 million. However, the vessel cannot operate on electricity alone, simply because neither Portsmouth nor the Isle of Wight has sufficient grid capacity to support such operations, as the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, alluded to earlier. Indeed, the electricity provider has indicated that the necessary grid connection will not be available until 2037—11 years from now; a lot of us might not even be here by then. Even then, Wightlink would be required to commit £12 million up front with no guarantee of time delivery. That is an extraordinary ask.