Balearia Receives Newbuild LNG-Fuelled Ferry (Update)

Spanish shipowner and ferry operator Balearia last week took delivery of the first of two newbuild Italian-built dual-fuel LNG ferries, both ordered early last year.

Balearia said March 29 the new ship is called Hypatia de Alejandría (shown above, courtesy of the shipowner) and will be the first newbuild LNG-fuelled ferry to operate in the Mediterranean. It is the first of two to be delivered from Italian shipyard Cantiere Navale Visentini, each with capacity for 810 people, 150 cars, plus 2,180 linear metres of cargo. The new ship is scheduled to operate in the Balearic Isles in early 2019.

The combined value of the order, placed early 2017 for both ships, was €200mn. They will be able to cruise at up to 24 knots.

Balearia retrofitted its existing Abel Matutes ferry to run on LNG, which was fuelled for the first time with LNG in January 2017. In addition to this, and the two Visentini newbuilds, Balearia last year ordered a newbuild LNG-fuelled roll-on roll-off passenger ferry from Spain’s LaNaval shipyard that is due for delivery 2019.  [Update: Balearia told NGW April 17 that the La Naval ship order was cancelled March 2018]

Hypatia was a philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 4th century after Christ. She was the earliest known female mathematician.