Spanish pair for Algeriea Ferries

After many years of delays, Algerian state-owned ship operator ENTMV (Enterprise Nationale de Transports Maritimes de Voyageurs) placed an order last year for two traditional ropax ferries with Spanish shipbuilder Izar. The ferry operator issued its initial tender for the ships in 1998 and AESA (which merged with Bazan to create Izar) clinched the contest. However compatriot shipbuilder H.J. Barreras allegedly complained to the Spanish government stating that the order should be split as it was financed by a development aid fund loan. Although Barreras subsequently withdrew from the project bidding, this led to the order being renegotiated.

The 20,212g 145m long vessels are being built at Izar?s Seville yard. The first unit will be delivered in July 2004, with the second a couple of months later in September. The keel for the first unit was laid earlier this year, in February.

Both ships will be operated by the Algerian ferry company on its route between Algiers, Algeria and Marseilles, France with a call on the way at Alicante, Spain. Each vessel will accommodate up to 1,300 passengers and have a cargo carrying capacity of 1,350 lane metres, the equivalent of 300 cars or 42 lorries. Passengers will be accommodated in 132 first class cabins providing 424 berths, plus 77 tourist class cabins with 308 berths. Public spaces will total 4,900m2.

MacGregor is contracted to supply the roro cargo handling equipment. The configuration will give the ferries a drive-through capability.

Two medium-speed Wärtsilä 12V46C diesel engines provide a total output of 25,200kW with each driving a 2m diameter controllable pitch propeller giving a service speed of around 22 knots. The engine room will be fully automated with a control system simultaneously monitoring 1,200 data collecting points enabling the engine room to remain unattended for 24 hours. For manoeuvrability, a single high lift rudder will be fitted together with two 1,000kW bow thrusters. Passenger comfort will be enhanced by the installation of a pair of Sperry Marine fin stabilisers in the shape of 9.1m2 Gyrofin roll stabilisers with a digital adaptive roll control system.

Bigger blocks, quicker delivery

The Algerian ferries are the first ships to be built on the recently improved No. 4 slipway at the Seville yard where Izar has invested heavily in new equipment. The most significant equipment is the new 220t capacity cranes. These enable the workshops to produce much larger hull blocks and sections than the old 60t cranes could handle.

This translates into a dramatic reduction in the number of blocks needed, leading to a significant improvement in the yard?s slipway turnover time. Murillo, the last ferry completed at the yard, for Trasmediterranea in March 2002, required 118 blocks, while the Algerian ferries (which are about 25 per cent smaller), will require only 52 blocks. With more pre-construction done off slipway, the assembly area for the Algerian ferries has been increased to 11,200m2, which is more than double that of the Murillo which had 5,200m2.

Profile drawings of the Murillo and the Algerian ferry showing the dramatic reduction achieved in the number of blocks used