The first of two LNG-powered ships (China-built) for Brittany Ferries - MS Salamanca - has been floated on January 5, 2021.
The newbuild cruiseferry was introduced over a week earlier than scheduled because of forecast poor weather. Though afloat, it is understood that the ferry is still in the dry-dock.
Salamanca is the 2nd of 3x Stena E-Flexer class ships being ordered and built for Stena RoRo and chartered to clients. Unlike the other E-Flexers, Salamanca has two Wartsila 12V46DF (dual-fuel engines) instead of two Caterpillar M43 (MaK engines) on the sisterships.
With a higher power output (13,74 MW each), the Wartsila engines guarantee a higher cruising/service speed of 23 knots (43 kph / 26 mph) over the other E-Flexers' 22 knots. Brittany Ferries require the extra knot of speed to maintain the UK-Spain (Portsmouth-Bilbao) route's schedule.
Salamanca's sistership Santona is scheduled for delivery in 2023.
The 3 new ships to be chartered by Brittany Ferries are with Stena's trademarked E-Flexer design and similar to the Stena-operated ferries Embla, Estrid and Edda, as well as DFDS’s forthcoming Cote d’Opale.