P & O Ferries: new ferries on the horizon
P&O Ferries, a subsidiary of DP World, has released the first official images of the EUR 260 million new ferries to connect Great Britain and the Continent. The largest vessels ever to sail between Dover and Calais will be operational by 2023.
The new ferry will cut current fuel consumption by 40% through a combination of fuel and battery propulsion, a fuel-saving heat recovery system that reduces the vessel’s carbon footprint and a double-ended design and two bridges on the ship, so there will be no need for the ferries to turn around. The shape of hull for the English Channel and azimuth thrusters to increase the ship’s manoeuvrability are also part of the new design.
P&O Ferries is a pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing 27,000 times a year on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. It operates about 20 vessels that carry 2.3 million freight units every year and also provides road and rail links to European countries including Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and Romania. (mw)