Hypatia de Alejandria - the first of two LNG (liquefied natural gas) newbuild ferries owned by Spanish shipping company Balearia - was floated out at Cantiere Navale Visentini shipyard in Italy.
The first ferry called Hypatia de Alejandria was launched on March 30, the company said in a statement, adding that the ship would start Balearic Islands service in early 2019.
Balearia ordered the 2 sister ships in January 2017 for EUR 200 million (US$ 247). Balearia said that the two ships would be the first LNG-fuelled ferries to operate in the Mediterranean.
The 810-passenger Hypatia de Alejandria is 186,5-meter long and will be able to reach a speed of 24 knots. It will have a capacity for 2,100 linear meters of cargo and 150 vehicles.
Balearia offers daily-served ferry lines between mainland Spain and Balearic Islands (via the ports of Denia, Barcelona and Valencia). It is the only company in the sector operating inter-island cruises to all 4 islands of the archipelago, as well as one of the largest ferry operators in Straits of Gibraltar linking Spanish Morocco (ports Melilla and Ceuta) to mainland Spain.