Battery-powered hydrofoils will replace ageing and highly polluting inter-island ferries from March 2024

The Orkney islands are to test two electric ferries for commuting between its outlying islands as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions from shipping.

The battery-powered hydrofoil ferries, whose hulls are raised above the water, are part of a three-year, £15.5m demonstration project funded by the UK government due to start in March 2024.