Marseille: "Zero Particle" ferry inaugurated

Cars, trucks and planes can no longer be singled out as the only culprits behind the pollution caused by traffic. Since shipping has also been targeted by the authorities, it has become increasingly clear that solutions must also be found to reduce the impact of shipping. Cities like Marseille have long been aware of this. Not only was a permanent low emission zone launched this month - according to which only vehicles with at least a 4 sticker are allowed on the city's roads - but progress has also been made at sea.   

A few days ago, the shipping company La Méridionale inaugurated its new boat. A zero-particle ferry that will connect Marseille with Corsica without polluting the environment too much. The climate-friendly operation of the ferry is made possible by an innovative filter, which is intended to greatly reduce the pollutant levels emitted during sea travel.  

The Piana - as the ship is called - is a "completely new solution, a world premiere", comments Marc Reverchon, President of the company. It is the equipment that makes this ferry new in the world of shipping. The filter, which is installed in all four engines of the Piana, is capable of removing 99% of the sulphur oxides emitted - as well as 99.9% of the fine and ultra-fine particles. The engines of the new ferry are therefore said to contribute almost nothing to the formation of pollutants.  

The new ferry has already received a lot of attention. Similarly, authorities and regional air quality monitoring stakeholders praise the project and the potential it still has to achieve. "With the Piana, they are going much further than the regulations require," says "Damien Piga, director of external relations and innovation at AtmoSud. It is of enormous importance, Piga reminds us, to develop new technologies that can deal with all particulate emissions - and thus remain a step forward from the measures increasingly being introduced by local and international authorities.  

Since 2020, for example, the sulphur content of marine fuels has been limited from the previous 3.5% to 0.5%, according to a regulation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). A limit that is soon to be lowered even further. From 2025, with the creation of a maritime environmental zone (SECA zone) on the Mediterranean, the sulphur content will no longer be allowed to exceed the threshold value of 0.1%.  

Marseille is taking big steps in the fight against air pollution. The city is no longer concerned only with pollutant emissions on the roads, for which it is introducing ever stricter regulations in the low emission zone. It is also tackling air pollution on the water - with zero-emission boats. Which is also much fairer, because after all, shipping is responsible for many more pollutants.