"Salamanca" calls at Bilbao
Brittany Ferries’ LNG-powered vessel “Salamanca” recently called at the port of Bilbao for the first time. It was a technical stopover on the ship’s maiden voyage since leaving a Chinese shipyard in December. It reached Europe via the Suez Canal after travelling more than 10,300 nautical miles. T
he vessel, which will enter service on 27 March, carrying freight and passengers on the route between Bilbao and Portsmouth, is 215 m long and has 2,723 m of lane space for cars and trucks. It is also Brittany Ferries’ first LNG-powered vessel and will be joined by the “Santoña” in 2023.
As a fuel, LNG does not emit sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or particulates after combustion. In preparation for the ship’s arrival, Bilbao’s port authority has refurbished the berth, and Repsol is building a quayside LNG filling station. (sh)