As part of the water transport reform, the authorities of St. Petersburg are introducing new environmental requirements for pleasure boats. The service life of passenger ships should not exceed 15 years, and most of the fleet should be converted to electric or hybrid engines. Currently, 678 vessels with a license to carry passengers are operated in the city, all of them using internal combustion engines. The age of some exceeds 30 years - such vessels have an increased level of noise and harmful emissions. The standard age has already expired for "Meteors" (average age 37 years), "Moscow" and "Neva" (30 years), "Moika" (20 years).
Technical requirements for ships in St. Petersburg
- service life: less than 15 years (ships older than this age will be withdrawn from commercial operation);
- engine type: mainly electric or hybrid power plants;
- environmental parameters: reducing noise levels and the content of harmful substances in the exhaust.
Electric ships are already in the water area
In July 2025, the two-deck electric ship "Strelna" of the "Moscow 2.0" project was launched on the routes. Technical specifications:
- passenger capacity - up to 140 people;
- power reserve - 6–8 hours from one charge;
- full charge time - 5 hours;
- speed - up to 20 km/h (11 knots);
- noise level - almost silent, without vibrations;
- equipment - a restaurant on board, a business lounge with panoramic windows.
It is planned to build a series of 25 electric ships of this project by 2030.
Charging infrastructure for electric ships
Charging stations are already in operation to service the electric fleet:
- on the pier at the Peter and Paul Fortress (150 kW);
- at the River Station (150 kW).
Stations will appear in the next two years:
- on the Southern Road (Krestovsky Island);
- on Arsenalnaya Embankment (450 kW - high-power hub).
Unified pier network of St. Petersburg
Simultaneously with the renewal of the fleet, the reform involves the centralization of the pier economy. Currently, almost 90% of the piers are in private hands, and there is no single operator. As part of the reform:
- a single standard of pier infrastructure (appearance, service);
- distribution of berths by purpose: for boarding/disembarking, for charging batteries, for inter-trip layover;
- automatic counting of passenger traffic;
- a unified system of information and ticket sales.
For St. Petersburg, the reform means a radical renewal of the fleet. The transition to electric traction will solve the noise problem in the historical center and reduce emissions in the Neva water area. Ship owners will need to invest in new ships with electric or hybrid power plants. The authorities are considering providing tax incentives and preferential leasing for companies switching to "green" energy.
At a meeting with representatives of business circles in the Kremlin in May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the renewal of the Meteor fleet in St. Petersburg. He noted that the old Meteors are already falling apart.