Energy efficient ferry to be classed by Lloyd’s

Ordered by Royal N.V. Texels Eigen Stoomboot Onderneming (TESO), the ferry will be constructed at the LaNaval Shipyard in Spain for delivery at the end of 2015 and enter into service in the spring of 2016.

John Hicks, VP for Global Passenger Ships, Lloyd’s Register, said: “Our teams in Spain and the Netherlands helped the client in delivering solutions to the engineering and regulatory challenges involved in this exciting contract. This is a robust design with the ability to operate in safety and efficiency in all conditions.”

Texelstroom will combine the innovative use of several different energy sources to provide reliable, efficient power and vastly reduce environmental impact. Although the ferry has the capability to run solely on diesel, it has an advanced energy management system – operating principally on gas but also with batteries and solar auxiliary power.

The ferry will have two completely independent engine rooms, one engine room is to be fitted with two ABC diesel engines (2 x 2000 kW), and the other with two ABC dual fuel engines (also 2 x 2000 kW). On each ship end two Rolls Royce azimuth propellers will be installed, to achieve a speed of 10 knots (economic) and 15 knots (maximum).

The natural gas will be stored in two batteries of compressed natural gas (CNG) bottles on the top deck. Electric batteries will also form an integral part of the advanced energy management system. It will also have 700m² of solar panels.

The design of the ferry was supported by the European Union’s ‘I.Transfer’ programme, which aims to make ferry transport more freely accessible and sustainable, and encourage more people to travel by water.