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Baleària, a Spanish ferry operator, has launched a concept to create the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco, which will be served by two 100% electric, zero-emission fast boats. These twin ships will be used to connect the cities of Tangier, Morocco, and Tarifa, Spain, on the “most sustainable” route between Europe and Africa.
Over the course of the next two and a half years, the Armon shipyard in Gijón will construct these twin catamarans. Four battery-powered electric propulsion units will provide each boat with 16 MW of power. The ships will be able to go the full 18 miles on electric propulsion and emit no emissions thanks to their 11,500 kWh capacity.
They will have a beam width of 25 meters, a capacity for 804 passengers and 225 cars, and a maximum speed of 26 knots.
During the hour-long layover at each port, the fast ferries’ batteries must be completely recharged. This will be accomplished by adding 8 MWh gross of batteries to the shore power supply in both ports (5 MW in Tarifa and 8 MW in Tangier).
“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,” Adolfo Utor, Baleària’s President and Owner, commented. “This innovative system will allow us to recharge the batteries needed for the route in just 40 minutes,” Utor explained.
The Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) gave Baleària the contract to oversee the Tarifa-Tangier Ville line for the ensuing 15 years in December. When granting the first intercontinental green line, the APBA gave technical and environmental requirements first priority.
“They will be totally decarbonised voyages, which will comply, from 2027, with the 2050 objectives,” Utor pointed out. He added that electric propulsion, in addition to avoiding emissions, eliminates noise and vibrations.
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, such as Cotenaval, Endesa, Amendis, and Incat Crowther,” the company’s head emphasized.
As “a green umbilical cord uniting two countries with a close historical, cultural, economic, and commercial relationship,” the president of Baleària views it as a crucial link.
The shipping company’s goal to “transform the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route into a talent-attraction pole, a focus of development opportunities, and a catalyst for the local economy and employment” was another argument Utor made.
The Spanish Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, stated that “the decarbonisation of transport is one of the Ministry’s priorities.”
In this respect, he acknowledged “the commitment to sustainability and the enormous efforts being made by Baleària to promote the decarbonisation of its fleet and its commitment to innovation.”
Andalusia’s Minister of Tourism and External Affairs, Arturo Bernal, expressed his satisfaction that the region is once again “a pioneer in sustainability.” Bernal complimented the dedication of the port administration and Baleària, which is anticipated to handle four million people.
It is a pioneering connection, thanks to the world’s first electric fast ferries, offering zero emissions.
Source & images courtesy of Balearia.
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