Two new hybrid LNG-electric ships are coming to the Brittany Ferries fleet.
They are going to arrive in 2024/2025 to serve routes connecting Portsmouth with St Malo and Caen.
In addition to considerably reducing emissions, the hybrids will ship much less noise, much less vibration for passengers and a step in direction of future-proofing the corporate.
The ships function on the identical precept as a hybrid automotive.
At sea, they are going to be powered by cleaner LNG (liquefied pure fuel) gas.
However in a primary on the English Channel, they may even function partially or fully on battery energy– for instance when arriving and departing ports.
Moreover, they are going to be able to plug in to shore-side energy when that is out there in ports.
This may permit recharging of onboard batteries and energy for methods like air con, heating and lighting whereas at berth, reducing funnel emissions to zero.
The ships might be chartered from Stena RoRo on a ten-year settlement, with a purchase order choice after 4.
They are going to take the place of Normandie and Bretagne, two grandes dames of the fleet.
Designed to higher serve freight and passenger visitors, they promise extra scope to hold vacationers to Normandy and Brittany outdoors of peak vacation durations.
The transfer is all a part of Brittany Ferries’ fleet renewal plan, one of many pillars of its five-year post-Covid-19 restoration technique.
The vessels will observe the deployment of Salamanca in 2022 and Santoña in 2023, each of which might be fuelled by LNG able to serve UK-Spain routes.
“Fleet renewal is just not a alternative for Brittany Ferries; it’s an crucial to safe our future,” stated Christophe Mathieu, chief government of Brittany Ferries.
“Our prospects rightly demand cleaner, greener vessels and our port companions count on us to be good neighbours.
“Moreover, we will definitely face tighter regulation within the years forward.
“The way forward for our firm relies upon upon our potential to rise to the problem right now, to arrange for tomorrow.
“That’s the reason I’m so proud to announce these new vessels.”
