Proposed Swansea ferry could become world’s fastest commercial vessel
Nation.Cymru Staff
A proposed ferry linking Swansea with south west England could offer one-hour crossings at speeds that would make it the fastest commercial ferry in the world, according to a newly published report.
The report follows a public consultation in 2024, funded by Swansea Council through a £25,000 Shared Prosperity Fund, in which an “exceptional” 97.8% of the 4,396 respondents backed exploring the idea of a Bristol Channel ferry further.
Produced by Ocean Prime Industries, the report says hydrogen-electric vessels could complete the crossing in around an hour, operating at a target top speed of 60 knots, with fares from £15.
If achieved, this would make it the world’s fastest commercial ferry, beating the HSC Francisco’s record-holding top speed of 58.1 knots.
It would also far exceed the performance of existing hydrogen-electric ferries, such as the MV Sea Change, which has a top speed of around 15 knots.
The report details Ocean Prime’s vision for the crossing, describing the intended journey as a “coastal equivalent” to London’s Elizabeth line, with “contactless ticketing, real-time information, level boarding, comfortable modern vessels, a simple ‘drive on drive off’ for cars.”
It continues: “Pet and cyclist friendly, with crew trained to the best customer service standards, connecting waterfront arrival points that feel welcoming, well-designed, and appropriate to the places they serve, whether that is Swansea or the harbour at Ilfracombe, Appledore, or Burry Port.
“Civic spaces, designed for the communities around them, are energy-positive where possible, following the principle already demonstrated at the Bay Technology Centre on Baglan Energy Park, the first commercial building in Wales that produces more energy than it consumes.”
Respondents highlighted potential benefits, including reduced journey times, a lower environmental impact, and support for Swansea’s tourism and businesses.
The report estimates the service could bring “800,000 new visitors to Swansea annually”, generating “£80 million in additional economic activity for the city”, rising to more than £600 million “at full network maturity with a fleet of eight vessels”.
However, respondents shared concerns that previous ferry services, including SevernLink and the Cork ferry, had failed, that a reliable service would be impacted by adverse weather, and that ticket prices may increase over time.
Swansea Bay News also reported that “some of the report’s own figures do not appear to add up”, saying that the estimated 290,000 tonnes of CO2 savings per year from a single vessel do not match the calculations the report cites.
Journalist Kit Peters writes: “Using the report’s own numbers — roughly 800,000 car journeys replaced, at the 3.6kg of CO2 per journey it cites from Department for Transport data — the total is around 2,900 tonnes a year, one hundredth of the figure claimed.”
They also highlighted that the report appears to confuse the science fiction authors Isaac Asimov and Minehead-born Arthur C. Clarke. The report claims the former supported the Millennium Pier project, despite having died in 1992 before the Minehead Pier 2000 Association behind the project was formed.
Ocean Prime Industries is now planning to produce a working prototype of the proposed ferry this year, with a target launch date for the first vessel of 2030.
The report, ‘OceanJet Line – Public Consultation Research Report‘, was released to Swansea Council on Thursday 2 July 2026, and will now be subject to a council scrutiny meeting.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Let’s hope that this really does happen by 2030. Whilst the figures may be a bit off there is definitely a need for it, but perhaps a trial would be necessary as I’m not sure how many daily crossings would be viable.
Great way to ship money from south Cymru to north Devon.
The Devon tourist board must be delighted.
I don,t see much loot travelling in the other direction from low population rural. To high population urban.
Some of the north Devon tourists might be tempted by an alternative day out but yes the urban centres of Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth are still some distance away on poor roads.
I am not convinced that eight vessels could be supported on this crossing especially as 4 months will be pretty fallow being the winter months.
White Elephant
Happy to be proved wrong but this seems unrealistic (bordering on science fiction) mainly because of the cars, the tides, the swell and lack of facilities in Devon. As a foot passenger ferry at proven cat speeds it might work. If what’s being promised was realistic they’d be targeting the Holyhead to Dublin crossing as such a vessel could run almost into the city centre and completely transform that service.
The viability of a ferry that can only operate in 2.5m seas is laughable at the western end of Bristol Channel is often greater than that so these ferries will have to find shelter Where is the question Milford Haven? or temporary shelter in Port Talbot as every where else dries out, and the idea of a service from the Taw/Torridge is laughable as at low water springs it is technically feasible to wade across to Westward ho! from Saunton Secondly where are they going to get the hydrogen? Then if the ferries are built where I suspect they might… Read more »
Looking at the idea that Burry port is an option for the landing is even more stupid as the state of the harbour there is even more extreme as a drying out location on the coast of South Wales is worse than Ilfracombe its as bad a Bideford or Appledore