Ghenova will develop the engineering of the first "LNG" ferry in the Mediterranean

The ship, hired by Baleària, will be built in the shipyard La Naval. The project consists of the basic engineering of an intelligent ship moved by natural gas and with capacity for more than 1,700 people on board. Ghenova, an international multidisciplinary engineering company, will develop the basic design of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) ferry in the Mediterranean. The ship, owned by the Baleària shipping company, will be built in the LaNaval shipyard, in Sestao (Vizcaya). This is the second engineering work for La Naval, which demonstrates the shipyard's confidence in the technical and project management capabilities of Ghenova.

After developing together the conceptual design of the new Baleària ferry with the shipowner and the shipyard, Ghenova is now running the complete basic engineering; that stage of engineering in which the initial idea is formed.

The boat, type Ro-Pax, will have more than 230 metres in length and 30 metres in manga, and can simultaneously transport more than 1,700 people, 325 cars and 185 trucks on board. But for what will highlight the new unit of the Baleària fleet is for its propulsion and services. It will be able to reach 23 knots thanks to its dual engines, powered by both natural gas and traditional fuels (MDO and HFO), thereby reducing its harmful emissions to the atmosphere by 40%. It will thus become the largest Spanish ship with dual propulsion LNG, giving it a pioneering role in the maritime landscape of the Mediterranean.

Another innovative property, and challenge for the project from the engineering perspective, is that this ship will become the first to be built in Spain in compliance with the SOLAS safety regulations for SRtP (Safe Return to Port). This ensures the greatest possible comfort for all passengers in the event of an accident, such as an on-board fire or a flood of their compartments. In these cases, it will also be able to return to safe port with its own means of propulsion; thanks to the capacity that Ghenova has given to the design of its different facilities.

Ghenova offers before this new design an extensive portfolio of Ferries projects, which supports its ability to offer practical and viable solutions when it comes to projecting such ships. An example of this is the construction projects of all the monocasque ships currently in service of the Baleària itself, such as the Abel Matutes or the Martin i Soler, among others; or all the monocasque ships, of the Shipships Arms and TransMediterranean currently in service. Ghenova has also developed construction projects of this type of ship for foreign shipowners such as Transmanche Ferries, Brittany Ferries or Maritime New Zealand.

Engineering has also been involved in projects for the LNG industry, including the design of supply ships. In this regard, Ghenova recently delivered the design of a new high-capacity supply ship to the Galician transport and regasification company, Reganosa.