Spain's Balearia To Convert Ferries to LNG
Spanish ferry operator Balearia said July 30 it will invest €60mn ($70mn) switching five of its ferries to natural gas engines.
The ferries Napoles, Abel Matutes, Sicilia, Bahama Mama and Martin i Soler are to be converted over the next two years, it said, adding that by using LNG in the five ships, it expects to reduce more than 45,000 metric tons (mt)/yr of CO2 and 4,400 mt/yr of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and completely eliminate all sulphur and particle emissions. Napoles will be the first of the five to be converted.
This is on top of two 'smart ships’ propelled by LNG being built at Italy's Visentini shipyard, the first of which was delivered to Balearia by the yard in March 2018 and will start operating February 2019.
Balearia chairman Adolfo Utor said the company expects to have nine ships propelled by LNG within three years, including two others now under consideration. It has strategic agreements with Spain's Naturgy, with which it has an exclusive 10-year LNG supply contract, and Rolls Royce and Wartsila which are building its engines). Its first LNG-run generator was installed last year on Abel Matutes.