Sefine Shipyard and naval architects LMG Marin AS officially announced that the new dual-ended ferry PIETRO MONDELLO, ordered by Italy’s Caronte & Tourist, has been successfully launched. This newbuilding will be the near sistership to the 2018-built ferry ELIO.
The double-ender is a fine-tuned version of ELIO with many changes that are not visible. Most notably, there is the use of a large 2 MWh battery pack to peak-shave ferry operations and reduce fuel consumption.
PIETRO MONDELLO will be the second of five new units as part of a EUR 250 Million fleet renewal plan launched by Caronte & Tourist in 2021.
At the christening ceremony of the newly built ro-pax ferry named Nerea in Palermo, just delivered by the same Turkish shipyard, the CEO of Caronte & Tourist, Vincenzo Franza, stated that further three newbuildings are to be built in the next two years for the maritime links to/from the small islands surrounding Sicily and for the Strait of Messina.
However, Franza emphasized the need for a long-lasting public contract for maritime continuity during the winter season, highlighting that 4-5 year plans are not sufficient to make these investments sustainable.