Join us for a webinar presented by Michelle McRae, Project Engineer at Canada Steamship Lines (CSL)!
Date - Tuesday, 17th June 2025
Time
Seattle - 8am
Houston - 10am
Montreal - 11am
Oslo - 5pm
Ships are too large! Battery capacity isn’t there yet! It’s too expensive!
These are only some of the many arguments that surface when discussing the potential of electrifying cargo vessels. This presentation will explore why electrification is a promising, and often overlooked, decarbonization strategy for marine shipping, particularly on short-sea routes where its technical feasibility has been proven time and again. Through advances in diesel-electric propulsion technologies, optimizations in hydrodynamic hull efficiency, and the ever-growing strides in performance of marine battery technologies, an increasing number of electric ships are either currently in operation or under construction. Notable examples include the Yara Birkeland, a container ship with 6.8MWh of integrated battery capacity operating in Norway, and Buquebús’s 40MWh fully electric ferry set to operate in Uruguay upon delivery in 2025. Electrification offers major environmental benefits, including significant GHG reductions, improved air and noise quality, and reduced disruption to marine ecosystems like those in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.
Despite its advantages, the primary barrier remains high capital costs—driven by battery and charging technology, rising shipyard prices, and trade tariffs. However, global success stories, such as Asko’s electric ferries in Norway, show that costs can be managed through full supply chain electrification and coordinated investment in vessels, ports, and service vehicles. These efforts require strong collaboration between stakeholders—including operators, customers, port authorities, and government, whose policies and subsidies play a critical role.
Audience members will leave this presentation with an appreciation for the technical feasibility of maritime electrification on short-sea routes, an understanding of its dramatic environmental gains, and with the motivation required to adopt the key roles they will play in unlocking its benefits. Electrification is possible. Electrification is beneficial – but costs are critical and can only be managed if we work together.