From May 1st, in the Balearic Island, Baleària will be operating the most innovative and sustainable ‘fast ferry’ in the Mediterranean
The ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’, the world’s first fast ferry with natural gas engines, will be covering the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route.
Baleària’s Eleanor Roosevelt, the world’s first fast ferry with natural gas engines, will start operating on the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route on Saturday May 1st. Baleària is hitting a new milestone in international maritime transport thanks to this ship, whose main features are innovation, sustainability, comfort and speed.
“We want to promote the Balearic Islands, a destination we have always been involved with and to whose citizens we are firmly committed, by bringing our most revolutionary, green and smart ship”, indicated Adolfo Utor, president of Baleària. He also pointed out that “The number of high-speed passenger seats on this route will increase by 60% and the number of hold places will be double the current capacity”, since the vessel can accommodate 1,200 passengers and 450 vehicles.
A sustainable catamaran
Construction of the Eleanor Roosevelt began at the end of 2018. It is the seventh Baleària vessel to run on natural gas, which reduces polluting emissions and which last year enabled the shipping company to stop emitting 37,000 tonnes of CO2. It is estimated that annually the reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the Eleanor Roosevelt will be equivalent to removing more than 8,900 conventional passenger cars from the roads or planting nearly 27,000 trees. The actual fuel consumption and engine efficiency will be monitored by on-board measuring equipment and sensors as part of a project co-financed by the European Commission’s CEF.
Comfort on board
The fast ferry has several cafeterias, as well as a food truck on the outside deck and a children’s area. Digitalisation is one of its most distinguishing features: the Eleanor Roosevelt offers a free digital entertainment platform, video surveillance of pets, internet and WhatsApp coverage for text messages throughout the crossing. In addition, passengers will receive their boarding pass via WhatsApp, indicating their assigned seat. Meanwhile, the new catamaran features other high-tech innovations that considerably reduce movement, vibrations and noise, and the interior spaces are spacious and bright for a comfortable crossing.
Investment
The company has invested 90 million euros in this new fast ferry, with funding secured from CaixaBank. The project, valued at 66 million euros, has been financed through a loan covered in its entirety by CaixaBank. In addition, the financing and construction of the vessel, which was carried out at the Armon shipyard, was structured through a Tax Lease transaction between CaixaBank and Arcano. In doing so, CaixaBank has reinforced its commitment to responsible investment principles and sustainable investment as a strategy for managing global risks.
