LNG fuelled ferry for the Med

The contract is for a large double-ended ferry for the Italian shipowner Caronte & Tourist which will be built by Sefine Shipyard in Turkey. It is due to be delivered in 2018.

The LMG 290-DEG design, which is 133 metres long and 21.5 metres wide, will have capacity for 290 cars on two vehicle decks, and 1500 passengers. The propulsion will be based on a gas-electric system using three dual-fuel engines.

LMG Marin said that the vessel has been developed in close dialogue with the shipowner in order to accommodate its challenging operational requirements whilst meeting a strict low fuel consumption target.

It will in particular be optimised to operate across the Strait of Messina between Villa San Giovanni and Messina in Sicily, which is an area prone to very high current.

Thanks to the vessel’s EU Class B certificate it will also be to operate on more open routes such as to the Aeolian Islands.