11/07/2026
A report behind a proposed Swansea to south-west England ferry has been published in full⛴️
⛴️ The OceanJet Line consultation report, funded by Swansea Council through a £25,000 Shared Prosperity Fund grant, has been released publicly for the first time.
🚀 It proposes hydrogen-electric vessels with a target top speed of 60 knots - faster than any ferry ever to enter commercial service. The current world record stands at 58.1 knots. Fares would start from £15, with 20 sailings a day and a crossing from Swansea to north Devon in around an hour.
💬 Council leader Rob Stewart, who contributed a foreword, described the public response as "remarkable" — 4,396 people and organisations took part in the online survey, with 97.8% expressing support.
📊 At full operation with a fleet of eight vessels, the report projects over £600m a year in visitor economy benefits, based on an assumption of up to 800,000 new visitors annually from a single vessel.
⚠️ However, questions have been raised about some of the figures - a claimed CO2 saving of 290,000 tonnes per year from one vessel appears inconsistent with the report's own underlying data, which points to a figure closer to 2,900 tonnes.
🔍 The report also attributes support for a Minehead pier project to Isaac Asimov, who died in 1992 - before the association referenced had even been formed.
📋 Ocean Prime Industries aims to build a working prototype this year, with the first vessel in service by 2030. The scrutiny panel will be the first time the report's claims have been formally examined.
Credit and full story - Swansea Bay News: https://swanseabaynews.com/swansea-ferry-report-promising-800000-visitors-and-600m-heads-for-scrutiny-as-its-own-numbers-face-questions/ #:~:text=It%20sets%20out%20an%20ambitious,Devon%20in%20around%20an%20hour
Source: Swansea Bay News / Swansea Council | Image of ferry illustrative only.
