Balearia boosts fleet with new fast ferry

Los Astilleros Armon has delivered the new LNG dual-fuel fast-ferry Margarita Salas to Balearia. Margarita Salas is the 1,000th ship the Asturian shipbuilding company has built. 

Around 220 people have worked directly on its construction for 2.5 years and more than 1,200 tonnes of aluminum has been used, a material that “provides various advantages, such as weight reduction and, therefore, a decrease in fuel consumption”, said Balearia in a LinkedIn post.

The fast ferry follows its predecessor LNG dual-fuel Eleanor Roosevelt into the fleet. Margarita Salas has a 10% increase in power, a second passenger deck and lateral bow thrusters to boost docking manoeuvres.

Earlier this year, Balearia purchased electric-powered ferry Rusadir – adding its 11th gas-powered boat. The cruise ferry, which has dual natural gas engines and an electric propulsion system, has been chartered since last March and operates on the Malaga–Melilla route. Rusadir has capacity for 1,670 people, and can accommodate up to 2,600 lane metres of cargo. The propulsion system of Rusadir is fully electric and has an electric plant with dual gas engines, a versatile technology in which Baleària has bet on in recent years, as it allows sailing on different fuels.