Balearia has ordered two dual fuel ferries at Italy’s Cantiere Navale Visentini in a deal worth EUR 200m ($215.4m).
The Spanish ferry operator says the two ro-pax newbuildings are expected to be operational towards the end of 2018.
Principal particulars include a length of 186.5 metres, a capacity for 810 people, 2,180 linear meters of cargo and 150 cars.
The ships will have a top speed of 24 knots thanks to two dual-fuel engines with a total power capacity of 20,600 KW.
Balearia says the use of LNG will reduce CO2 and NOx emissions by more than 40% while at the same time eliminating harmful emissions of sulfur and other particles.
Balearia president Adolfo Utor said the two new ferries will allow the company to guarantee improved services to both passengers and logistic operators “while at the same time gaining a competitive edge.”
In September 2015 TradeWinds reported that Balearia ordered two LNG ferries at compatriot shipyard Construcciones Navales del Norte (LaNaval).
The ferry owner is spending around EUR 350m on the newbuildings, which will be the biggest vessels ever built in Spain.
Balearia, which has a 25-strong fleet, runs ferry services connecting the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla with mainland Spain.
It also operates in North Africa in Morocco and Algeria and in the Caribbean, where the firm has an ambitious expansion plan.
