F.-A.-Gauthier undergoing sea trials off Capri
A new LNG-fuelled LR Classed ferry has set sail from the Fincantieri shipyard in Naples, bound for North America where it will reportedly be the first LNG-fuelled ferry to operate on the continent. The ferry is the first LNG-powered vessel for Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ), a Québec Government Corporation that operates in maritime passenger transport.
Launched in July 2014, the 133-metre-long, 22-metre-wide F.-A.-Gauthier is the first in a series of gas-fuelled vessels built to LR class for the Canadian operator. With a capacity for 800 passengers and 180 vehicles, the ferry is also the first LNG-powered ferry to be built in Italy. It will be used to transport more than 205,000 passengers and over 118,000 vehicles a year.
The ferry, which is fitted with an ultra-compliant, low emission, dual-fuel LNG and diesel system, will enter service at Matane in the Canadian province of Quebec.
“This hi-tech vessel meets all the maximum standards to deal with environmental pollution and is also certified as ice class in compliance with an integrated bridge system notation as well as a dynamic propulsion system,” said Claudio Percivale, LR’s Senior Surveyor in Charge for the project.
(Source: Lloyd’s Register)
