Region’s new ‘green’ ferry launched in China

BRITTANY Ferries’ latest vessel has taken to the water for the first time – off China.

The Salamanca, which could be used to operate out of Plymouth and Portsmouth, has had her launch ceremony at the CMJL shipyard in Weihai, where she is under construction.

She is the second of three E-Flexer class ships ordered by Brittany Ferries and will join sister ship Galicia when she enters service in the spring of 2022.

Salamanca will be powered by cleaner liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is sister ship to Galicia, which entered service in 2020, and a third vessel: Santoña.

Like Galicia, Salamanca will weigh in at more than 42,000 gross tonnes. She will be one of the largest ships ever to serve the company, and at 215 metres long she will be joint-longest.

Although used mainly on routes out of Portsmouth, Galica was trialled in Plymouth, partly to check the ferry could fit into the port at Millbay, which means the company might then use its two sister ships to operate out of Plymouth.

Salamanca will carry 1,015 passengers, with over 2.7km of lanespace to house passenger and freight vehicles. She will be French-flagged and crewed by French seafarers. However, Brittany Ferries’ UK headquarters remains in Plymouth.

Fleet renewal is part of the firm’s five-year recovery plan. The investment in new ships was made well before the pandemic.

“In spite of Brexit and Covid, which have cost our company several hundred million euros already, I am resolved to remain on our path towards eco-responsibility and energy transition,” said Jean-Marc Roué, president of Brittany Ferries.