- EU offers to grant a 20% subsidy of the project to convert 5 ro-pax ferries for LNG-power and to start a MoS between Gijón and Nantes-Saint Nazaire.
- Funds to come from Connect Europe (CEF).
- Balearia’s budget = €75 million.
- The EC has reduced the amount eligible to subsidize at €59 million, which means a subsidy of 11,7 million.
The Puerto Rico Government has started a Public-Private Partnership project that seeks viable and efficient alternatives to provide the transportation services to the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra and between Cataño and San Juan.
Five proponents were interested in taking part in the procurement process.
- Balearia Caribbean Inc.
- HMS Ferries, Inc.
- Priority Roro Services, Inc.
- Puerto Rico Fast Ferries, LLC
- Seastreak, LLC
Europe Opens The Door To Recover The Motor of the Sea Link Between Gijón And Nantes
The EU approves Baleària’s project to operate a ferry service between Gijón and Nantes.
Baleària presented a project in cooperation with the ports of Gijón, Nantes and Valencia and the company Gas Natural Fenosa.
The ferry company would receive EUR 12 million for the conversion of one of their ships into a LNG-power.
Baleària will now have to decide which ship.
Canary Bridge Seaways (CBS): Baleària and Fred. Olsen Express have agreed to operate new routes between the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands.
- When: starting in mid-November.
- What: Two ships, Three connections /week, for passengers, cars and freight.
- Why: the two companies take advantage of the vacuum left by Trasmediterránea as a result of the limits set by the CNMC (National Commission of Markets and Competition) for the merger with Armas. Armas had to give up some routes to be allowed to acquire Trasmediterranea. FRS already started to operate a ferry service between Huelva and the Canary Islands with VOLCAN DEL TEIDE on 7 July 2018.
Photo: General Director of Fred. Olsen Express, Andrés Marín (left), and Baleària’s President Adolfo Utor (right). Photo Baleària.
Two Balearia Visentini Ro-Pax Ships To Be Converted Into LNG Dual-Fuel
MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales division of MAN Energy Solutions, has won the contract to convert two ro-pax ferries from Baleària to dual-fuel operation.
Sister ships, the NAPOLES and SICILIA, are currently each powered by 2 × MAN 9L48/60A main engines, which will all be converted to 9L51/60DF units that will enable running on LNG.
The conversion of the NÁPOLES is due to take place in Spain between November 2018 and January 2019, with the conversion of SICILIA to take place from October to December 2019.
Baleària has invested close to EUR 55 million in the acquisition of the Visentini ro-pax VISEMAR ONE, which has been sailing for the company for seven years. She started in 2011 on the Barcelona-Palma route, and currently operates between Valencia and Palma. Her large cargo intake of 2,860 lane meters makes her very efficient for the Mallorca lifeline route.
Baleària currently has 30 vessels in its fleet, 26 of which are owned. The shipping company is building two LNG-powered ferries at the same Visentini yard, and
it has the intention to convert five existing ferries into LNG powered ships.
Two “other” projects are also on the shelf.
The local authority in Gijon are to provide EUR 600,000 in funding over two years for the re-launch of the ferry route between Gijón and Nantes. This was announced by the Minister of Infrastructure, Fernando Lastra, at a logistics fair.
Baleària would be the company behind the plan to reopen this Motorway of the Seas.
The president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, and his colleague of Marítima Peregar, Joaquín Pérez-Muñoz Prados, presented a new joint service on 18 July.
Both shipping companies have set up a Compañía Marítima Alborán (50/50), which has begun daily regular traffic between Melilla and Málaga.
Six connections a week are ro-pax services, one per week is for ro-ro freight only.
In addition, Compañía Marítima Alborán will operate other regular traffic with Ceuta and Tangier Med, with Malaga as homeport. This service was already operated by Peregar.
- Malaga-Ceuta: two weekly freight services
- Malaga-Tangier Med: daily, from Monday to Friday ro-ro / Saturdays and Sundays ro-pax.
The new company uses two vessels:
- DÉNIA CIUTAT CREATIVA ro-pax (399 pax / 430 cars)
- FESTIVO ro-ro (1,000 lane meter)
On June 20, Baleària celebrated 20 years of its successful betting on energy efficiency, digitalization, international expansion and the assumption of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, as a road map to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability.
The shipping company, which currently operates in five countries, with 21 routes and 21 public service contracts, has a fleet of 30 ferries and fast ferries. Baleària transported a total of 3,700,000 passengers in 2017.
Expansion in international markets is one of the strategic points. Currently one on four passengers is international. Baleària is present in five countries, operates four international routes, with more than 880,000 passengers. International lines account for 20% of the turnover.
1) North Africa: Algeciras – Tangier, Almeria – Nador, València – Mostaganem.
2) United States – The Bahamas.
Baleària has two LNG-powered ferries on order. It has put an LNG-powered generator on ABEL MATUTES and it has the intention to convert several ships to LNG.
Astilleros Gondán delivered the second GRP ecofast ferry, EcoLUX, to Baleària shipping. The first one was delivered last December. The 28m, 350-seat, 28-knots vessel has been designed to ensure comfort, speed and reliability. Solar panels supply the necessary energy for onboard services. The four catamarans are designed to be able to operate in the different short distance trips that the shipping company makes in the Balearic Islands.
Photo: Stena Line