Brittany adds new battery/LNG hybrid RoRos

The ferries are due to begin operation in 2024/25 and will serve the Portsmouth to St Malo and Portsmouth to Caen routes. It is thought to be the first time that ships in the English Channel will operate on battery power, for example when arriving and departing ports.

“Our customers rightly demand cleaner, greener vessels and our port partners expect us to be good neighbours,” said Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries.

“Furthermore, we will certainly face tighter regulation in the years ahead. They bring with them a host of innovations just as Bretagne and Normandie did when they were launched,” he added.

The hybrid ships have two propellers. Each propeller is connected via a prop shaft to a separate gearbox which manages power supplied from one LNG engine and to one reversible electric motor. The electric motor is used to either drive the propeller or charge the batteries/power onboard systems whilst in port.

When driving a propeller, the electric motor is fed by batteries but can also be boosted by power from the second LNG engine, configured via the gearbox for the second propeller. When operating in reverse, the electric motor charges the batteries. Depending on charge, the batteries can also be used to power systems on board such as air conditioning, heating and lighting when in port.