Shipping company Baleària and Shipyard Construcciones Navales del Norte – LaNaval have reached this week an Agreement - expected to be firm in two months - for the construction of two natural gas propelled ferries around Euro 350 million.
The new ships, further to be the first ones to be running on natural gas in Spain, will be among the largest in Europe and the biggest ever built in a Spanish shipyard.
Baleària, with its focus on the energy efficiency has ordered these ship with dual fuel engines that will be capable to run on natural gas or diesel oil and therefore will allow the company to reduce more than 30% the CO2 emissions as well as others. The construction of the first unit will start in 2016 and will be in operation during the first quarter of 2018.
Chairman of Baleària, Mr. Adolfo Utor points out that “the investment in the construction of new ships is the way of growing and being more competitive” and adds “these ferries will be a very technologically advanced and innovative units based not only in the propulsion system but also incorporating systems onboard allowing to be more eco-efficient, together with a better service and comfort for our clients”
LaNaval’s Managing Director, Mr. Iñaki Irasuegui states that “this agreement is a key milestone for LaNaval, gaining a new strategic like Baleària with which we want to establish a long term relationship it consolidates our company’s strategy in the ferry market and, in general, in the design and construction of technologically advance and
sophisticated ships”