By Business & Finance 
Brittany Ferries has invested €17m to cut fuel emissions from its flagship Pont-Aven with the installation of exhaust gas-cleaning systems.
The Pont-Aven is unique in that it will be the only ferry operating in Irish waters in 2016 fitted with ‘scrubbers’, which dramatically reduce sulphur emissions to almost zero and significantly reduce particulate output.
The scrubbers were installed at the renowned Gdansk shipyard in Poland, before the commencement of the 2016 Cork-Roscoff sailing season earlier this month.
The work on the Pont-Aven marks the completion of a major €80m project over 18 months by Brittany Ferries to significantly improve the environmental performance of its six-strong car ferry fleet in Ireland and the UK.
Hugh Bruton, general manager, Brittany Ferries Ireland, said: “As a company, we have a profound respect for the environment and we have made a significant investment to ensure that our passengers will be travelling on the cleanest and most environmentally friendly ship to operate in Irish waters this year. The installation of the scrubbers is just one of a number of steps that we have implemented as we strive to achieve sustainable tourism.”
Mike Bevens, commercial director, Brittany Ferries, added: “Today we are still largely owned by the collective of French farmers who launched the company more than 40 years ago, with the aim of linking territories and improving trade. These aims have always been framed by a will to respect the environments in which we operate and this significant investment is testament to our ongoing commitment.”
