Swansea to southwest England ferry proposal gets public approval
But there are questions about where a ferry would berth, how much investment would be needed to update port infrastructure, whether public support would translate into bookings, and how the ferry would attain zero-carbon emission credentials.The consultation findings have not yet been made public, but the council said the maritime company that carried it out - Ocean Prime - had progressed work on an interim business case.Last week it emerged that Devon County Council had not held any meetings with its Swansea counterpart about a hydrogen-powered ferry proposal in the past two years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.Referring to the Ocean Prime consultation work, a spokesman for Swansea council said: "Detailed technical and commercial concept assessments have identified some strong opportunities. The feasibility of these opportunities will be undertaken in the coming months to understand how they might be included."He added: "Ocean Prime has met several other regional council experts, including harbour masters, since they first became aware of the project in 2023."This has included exploratory talks about various aspects of a ferry concept with North Devon Council, Somerset Council, and Torridge District Council."Now that market testing has been carried out in the Swansea area meetings will be arranged between Swansea Council, Ocean Prime, and councils in southwest England to further explore feasibility."Ocean Prime chief executive Dave Sampson has previously described the plans for a ferry link as "very early days" and said gauging demand for the service was key.He said he envisaged a ferry around 55m (180ft) long which would take passengers, cars, and some cargo at speeds of up to 40 knots (46mph).He also said the intention would be for a ferry service to operate as often as possible rather than just during the summer months.In 2010, a proposed new fast ferry linking Swansea and Ilfracombe in north Devon, called Severnlink, came close to launching but was hit by funding difficulties.Last June, Swansea council responded to a Freedom of Information request by a former Swansea councillor about the cost of the Ocean Prime consultation. The council said it had paid the company £24,995 and had not allocated any further money towards the project.
