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The Brittany Ferries ‘Salamanca’ will connect Portsmouth and Bilbao in Spain
Brittany Ferries has launched its new luxury ship, the ‘Salamanca,’ which will operate between Portsmouth in the UK and Bilbao in Spain, its first liner to be powered exclusively by liquefied natural gas. A second green energy ferry will connect the UK and Santander next year.
The first LNG-powered ferry linking the UK with Europe, the Salamanca set out on its inaugural journey to Spain on Saturday March 27 with more than 600 passengers on board. The impressive 215-metre long vessel will be capable of carrying more than 1,000 people as well as freight vehicles on its twice-weekly, 28-hour trip from the UK to Bilbao.
Built in the Weihai shipyards in China, the Salamanca will also cover a weekly route between Portsmouth and Cherbourg in France.
CEO of Brittany Ferries, Christophe Mathieu, said that after the challenges thrown by Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, “the connections between the United Kingdom, Bilbao and Santander are almost complete for this season.” He added that, after launching the first sea service that connects Spain and Ireland in 2018, “our new challenge is to get our Irish friends to travel to Spain for vacations, and vice versa.
Mr Mathieu said that the Salamanca represents the company’s commitment to the environment, reinforced by the fact that in 2025, Brittany Ferries will add two hybrid electric and gas ships to its fleet.
The Salamanca will refuel about twice a week in the purpose-built Repsol station in Bilbao, which will also service other vessels.
The president of the Port Authority, Ricardo Barkala, explained that the new Salamanca “is a ship in which technology, comfort, innovation, design and sustainability go hand in hand. In addition to its technical characteristics, the ship stands out for its decoration full of works of art, large areas for passengers with lounges, shops and restaurants, among other amenities on the three passenger decks. She has 341 cabins, most with up to four beds, although there are 21 doubles and three luxurious suites".
Image: Cruise Mapper
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