Spanish ferry operator Baleària Eurolineas Maritimas has received a grant of EUR 11.8 million (USD 13.6 million) from the European Commission to retrofit five of its ferries to run on LNG.
The funding represents 20% of the total sum of EUR 59 million needed for the project implementation, according to data provided by the European Commission.
As informed by Baleària, the EU has described as excellent the project entitled “LNGHIVE2 vessels demand: Green and smart links – LNG solutions for smart maritime links in Spanish Core ports”.
The project will be carried out from the end of 2018 until 2021. It will encompass the upgrade of five ships — Nápoles, Abel Matutes, Sicilia, Bahama Mama and Martín i Soler. Nápoles will be the first to be fitted with gas propulsion.
Commenting on the recently awarded grant, Adolfo Utor, president of Baleària, said it is in line with the shipping company’s strategy to have the most sustainable and eco-efficient fleet in the sector in the medium term.
Baleària is currently building two smart ships powered by LNG at the Visentini shipyard in Italy, the first of which is expected to be operational as of February 2019.
World Maritime News Staff