Brittany Ferries, the French ferry company, said it has been forced to suspend its plans to upgrade much of its fleet to operate on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). "At the beginning of 2014, the company committed itself to an ecological transition plan in response to new regulations relating to sulphur emissions which will come into effect on 1st January 2015," it said in a statement.

The plan included the installation of scrubbers (gas filters) on three ships, and the conversion of three newer ships to allow them to operate on LNG. It also included the construction of an LNG cruise ferry. However, the preconditions enabling the plan to be financially viable have not been met. "Brittany Ferries has worked tirelessly over recent years to convince governments of the desperate need for a temporary exemption from the new rules, contained within the revised MARPOL Annex VI." the company stated

"However, with the January deadline fast approaching, it appears unlikely that such an exemption will be granted. This is despite Brittany Ferries’ ambitious plan going above and beyond what is required by the new rules, thanks to its reliance on LNG, which exceeds requirements concerning emissions of sulphur, CO2, nitrous oxide and particulate emissions," the company said.

The company is simply unable to bear the costs of the double penalty that would be incurred by this programme. Jean Marc Roué, Brittany Ferries’ chairman commented in the statement: “It is impossible for us to commit to an ecological transition plan which requires such a high level of investment, when, due to the absence of a temporary exemption, we will also incur hefty additional annual costs amounting to tens of millions of euros, due to us being obliged to use diesel instead of heavy fuel oil until our ships have been converted.”

“We have worked tirelessly for a temporary exemption but these efforts have sadly been in vain. Without it, the economic viability of our LNG programme is in jeopardy. It is my duty to protect the company and its staff at a time when the European ferry industry is confronting numerous challenges.”

“All of our partners who have worked with us on this project have demonstrated the technical feasibility and the environmental benefits of this pioneering, futuristic technology. However I have taken the decision to suspend the LNG component of our ecological transition plan. It’s a decision I take with much regret and disappointment," he said.

Despite these difficulties, the company is still undertaking a wide-ranging, albeit less ambitious transition plan, which will meet or exceed what the requirements of the new rules. The scheme includes the installation of scrubbers on the three ships which it had planned to convert to operate on LNG, and represents an investment of €70 million to €80 million.