• 16 Oct 2018

The Spanish ferry operator Baleària obtained an economic support of about 11.8 million euros from the European Union for the planned conversion to liquefied natural gas (LNG) of five of its ferries.

The European Union has declared the company's project as "excellent" and will grant up to a maximum contribution of 11.797 million euros, compared with the 15 million euros requested under the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) financial mechanism. The funds will cover 20% of the investment cost of 60 million euro provided by Baleària for its conversion project.

The President of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, expressed his satisfaction with this recognition, which will allow the take off of LNG in its fleet in the next few years, underlining that "Our goal is to become one of the company's navigation with the most sustainable and eco-efficient fleet ".

The five retrofits of the ferries named Naples, Abel Matutes, Sicily, Bahama Mama and Martín i Soler will be staggered between the end of 2018 and 2021.(See ConferenzaGNL news at http://www.conferenzagnl.com/balearia-conversione-cinque-traghetti-gnl/?lang=en )

The first unit to complete the repowering will be the Naples, expected by mid-November 2018.

Utor also recalled that within the next month it will begin to sail the first of the two LNG-powered ferries that are under construction at the Italian shipyard Visentini.

Source: Balearia