Spanish companies Baleària and Shipyard Construcciones Navales del Norte (LaNaval) plan to construct two natural gas propelled ferries at a cost of approximately EUR 350 million (USD 390m). Although Baleària has previously converted a ship to liquefied natural gas (LNG), these ferries will be the first newbuilds running in Spain to operate with this fuel, among the largest in Europe and the biggest ever built in a Spanish shipyard.
Baleària Eurolínias Marítimas S.A. (Baleària), with its focus on energy efficiency, has ordered these ships with dual-fuel engines that are capable of running on natural gas or diesel oil and therefore will allow the company to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 30%, as also reduce other emissions such as NOx, SOx and particulate matter. The construction of the first unit will start in 2016 and will be in operation during the first quarter of 2018.
Chairman of Baleària, Mr. Adolfo Utor, points out that “the investment in the construction of new ships is the way of growing and being more competitive” and adds “these ferries will be very technologically advanced and innovative units, based not only in the propulsion system but also incorporating systems onboard allowing to be more eco-efficient, together with a better service and comfort for our clients”.
LaNaval’s Managing Director, Mr. Iñaki Irasuegui, states that “this agreement is a key milestone for LaNaval, gaining a new strategic client like Baleària with which we want to establish a long term relationship, it consolidates our company’s strategy in the ferry market and, in general, in the design and construction of technologically advance and sophisticated ships”.
In February 2015, Rolls-Royce signed a collaboration agreement with Spanish energy company Gas Natural Fenosa to develop and install a pure-gas Bergen engine aboard the Baleària-operated ferry Abel Matutes.
(Source: Baleària and LaNaval)
