An International Maritime organisation study has found that converting Türkiye’s Sea of Marmara ferry network to a blend of hybrid and fully electric vessels could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 63%, while preventing almost €500 million in health and environmental damage and supporting about 1,100 jobs a year, sources indicated on 2 October 2026.
The analysis was carried out for the IMO under its GreenVoyage2050 programme, according to the reported summary. It examined the region's ferry operations and modelled the impact of replacing conventional diesel-powered ferries with lower‑emission alternatives.
Projected emissions and economic benefits
The study’s headline estimate is a 63% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the Sea of Marmara ferry network following a transition to a mix of hybrid and fully electric vessels. That reduction reflects operational changes modelled by the IMO and is presented alongside monetised estimates of avoided harm.
Monetary benefits identified in the study amount to nearly half a billion euros in avoided health and environmental damage. The reported figure captures the economic value of fewer pollution-related illnesses and reduced environmental degradation linked to present ferry emissions.
Jobs and local economic effects
The study also projects employment effects, estimating around 1,100 jobs a year would be supported as a result of the transition to electrified and hybrid ferries. The figure reported relates to jobs across construction, maintenance and operations connected to the new vessel types and associated infrastructure.
The employment estimate sits beside the environmental and health benefits, indicating that the transition could deliver both climate and socio-economic outcomes for the region without claiming additional, unreported policy measures.
Operational change and fleet composition
The study compares continuing present diesel operations with scenarios that introduce hybrid and full electric ferries into the Sea of Marmara network. It does not prescribe a single technical pathway but evaluates the emissions outcomes of a mixed fleet using the IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 framework.
By modelling hybrid and fully electric propulsion together, the analysis reflects the practical range of options available to ferry operators, from partial electrification supported by batteries and conventional engines to entirely battery‑electric services where shore charging and operational patterns permit.
Wider implications and caveats
The reported findings highlight the scale of emissions reductions achievable through fleet electrification in a confined, high‑traffic regional ferry system. They also underline the potential for substantial avoided costs tied to human health and the environment.
The summary in reports does not set out implementation timetables, financing models or regulatory steps required to realise the scenario examined. The study’s figures therefore represent potential outcomes under the assumptions used by the IMO’s analysts rather than an immediate policy commitment.
As maritime stakeholders and local authorities consider decarbonisation options, the study adds a quantified case for electrification in regions with dense short‑sea ferry services. The reported 63% emissions reduction and the concurrent estimates for avoided damage costs and job support contribute to the evidence base policymakers may use when assessing investments in vessels and port charging infrastructure.
The IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 programme commissioned the work, and the results as reported on 2 October 2026 frame the Sea of Marmara as a region where electrification could produce sizeable environmental and economic gains in the ferry sector.
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