Gibdock converts Baleària ferry to LNG
The 186m long Napoles, which has capacity for 1,600 passengers and 1,430 lane metres of cargo, is the first of five ships that Baleària plans to convert to dual fuel operations. Gibdock has already secured a contract to convert a second vessel, Sicilia, which is due to arrive at the yard later this year.
Richard Beards, managing director of Gibdock, said, ”Baleària is a longstanding client for scheduled repair and maintenance work, so it made perfect sense to carry out the conversion at Gibdock. We are delighted to have been entrusted with this landmark project, which was a first for us and for Baleària.”
Work began on Napoles in November, with the yard already having pre-fabricated two LNG bunker fuel reception stations for later installation. The project required extensive modifications to Deck 1 to accommodate the 200 tonne, 27m x 6m diameter LNG fuel tank from Wärtsilä. Gibdock also cropped Decks 5 through to 2 to create a route through which to lower the 400m3 capacity tank.
Another key element of the project was the modification of the MAN 9L 48/60-A main engines, which was undertaken by engineers from MAN Primeserv. Extensive automation system and cabling work was also carried out by Gibdock technicians.
After its departure, Napoles began servicing a new passenger and Spanish freight route connecting Huelva and the Canary Islands.
