Plans for a ferry linking Swansea with south-west England have received overwhelming public support, according to Swansea Council.
Nearly 98% of more than 4,000 respondents to a council-funded consultation backed the idea of a fast ferry crossing the Bristol Channel. The authority said the feedback had identified several “strong opportunities”, but stressed that further feasibility work was still required.
The consultation, launched last year, focused on the concept of a quicker transport link between south Wales and the south west of England, offering an alternative to road journeys via the M4 and M5.
However, key questions remain unresolved, including where the ferry would dock, how much investment would be needed, and how the service could meet zero-carbon emission targets.
Council leader Rob Stewart first signalled support for a hydrogen-powered ferry linking Wales with Devon and Cornwall in April 2022.
While the full consultation findings have yet to be published, the council said the maritime firm commissioned to carry out the work, Ocean Prime, had progressed an interim business case.
It also emerged last week that Devon County Council has not held any meetings with Swansea Council about a hydrogen ferry proposal in the past two years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Referring to Ocean Prime’s work, a Swansea Council spokesman said: “Detailed technical and commercial concept assessments have identified some strong opportunities. The feasibility of these opportunities will be undertaken in the coming months to understand how they might be included.”
He added: “Ocean Prime has met several other regional council experts, including harbour masters, since they first became aware of the project in 2023.
“This has included exploratory talks about various aspects of a ferry concept with North Devon Council, Somerset Council, and Torridge District Council.
“Now that market testing has been carried out in the Swansea area meetings will be arranged between Swansea Council, Ocean Prime, and councils in southwest England to further explore feasibility.”
Ocean Prime chief executive Dave Sampson has previously described the proposals as being at “very early days”, stressing that understanding demand for the service would be crucial.
He said he envisaged a ferry about 55m (180ft) long, capable of carrying passengers, cars and some cargo, and travelling at speeds of up to 40 knots (46mph). The intention, he added, would be for the service to run as frequently as possible, rather than operating only during the summer.
Swansea has explored similar ideas in the past. In 2010, plans for a fast ferry between Swansea and Ilfracombe in north Devon, known as Severnlink, came close to launching but ultimately stalled due to funding problems.
More recently, Swansea Council revealed the cost of the Ocean Prime consultation in response to a Freedom of Information request from a former councillor. The authority said it paid the company £24,995 and had not committed any further funding to the project.
