VIDEO: Baleària to operate two new all-electric fast ferries between Spain and Morocco

Written by Nick Blenkey
All-electric fast ferry

Image: Baleària

Spanish ferry operator Baleària has unveiled the details of two all-electric fast ferries that it will operate on the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco. The zero-emission ships will operate on the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route under a contract awarded Baleària by the Bay of Algeciras Port Authority, which has prioritized sustainability and innovation in the management of this route for the next 15 years

The public-private project includes the construction of twin ships at the Armon Shipyard, as well as the electrification of the ports and the installation of battery recharging systems

“This is a pioneering and technologically advanced public-private project that will enable us, for the first time ever, to run the entire route using only electric energy and, therefore, zero emissions,” said Baleària’s president, Adolfo Utor, in a presentation made yesterday at the FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid. “The Port Authority laid the foundations for this project, which is in line with our innovation and sustainability values. We are taking on the challenge of turning the Tarifa-Tangier Ville line into an example of mobility, modernity and international sustainability.”

The twin all-electric fast ferries will be built at the Armon shipyard in Gijón over the next two and a half years. Each will have 16 MW of electric power installed, with four battery-powered 11,500 kW electric propulsion units allowing them to make the entire 18-mile voyage under electric power and emissions-free, though each ferry ship will also have four diesel combustion back-up generators, with a total capacity of 11,200 kW, for possible eventualities.

The fast ferries’ batteries must be fully recharged during the one-hour stopover in each of the ports. To do this, 8 MWh gross batteries will be installed in both ports, which will be added to the shore power supply (5 MW in Tarifa and 8 MW in Tangier).

The charging will be carried out by two innovative autonomous robotic arms installed in each port, which will be connected to the ship via the ship’s OPS (Onshore Power System) connection.

“This innovative system will allow us to recharge the batteries needed for the route in just 40 minutes,” said Utor.

Between the on-board and shore systems, the total battery capacity will be 39 MWh gross (equivalent to around 765 electric cars).

Utor noted that this is “a public-private project, with a Spanish shipping company, shipyard and financier, which also involves the participation of benchmark national and international companies in the fields of engineering and energy, including Cotenaval, Endesa, Amendis and Incat Crowther.Design and technical features

The design of Baleària’s the two catamarans is similar to that of its two LNG-fueled fast ferries, the Incat Crowther designed Eleanor Roosevelt and Margarita Salas (also built by Armon), but optimized for the ports of Tarifa and Tangier Ville.

With a length of 87 meters, they will have a beam of 25 meters, capacity for 804 passengers and 225 cars, and a maximum speed of 26 knots. In addition to spacious, bright interiors equipped with a wide range of services, passenger comfort will also be ensured by a T-Foil system that dampens vertical movement.

Categories: Ferries, News, Passenger Tags: , , , , , ,