LMG Marin has been selected to design a large double-ended ferry for the Italian shipowner Caronte & Tourist which will be the first LNG-powered ferry to operate in the Mediterranean Sea.
The LMG 290-DEG design, which is 133 meters long and 21.5 meters wide, will have capacity for 290 cars on two vehicle decks, and 1500 passengers. The propulsion will be based on a gas-electric system using 3 dual-fuel engines.
The vessel will be built by Sefine Shipyard in Turkey. When delivered in 2018, the LMG 290-DEG design will be the first ferry in the Mediterranean Sea to operate on LNG fuel.
According to the company, the vessel has been developed in close dialogue with the shipowner in order to accommodate their challenging operational requirements whilst meeting a strict low fuel consumption target. She is in particular optimized to operate across the Strait of Messina between Villa San Giovanni and Messina in Sicily, which is an area prone to very high current. Thanks to her EU Class B certificate she will also be to operate on more open routes such as to the Aeolian Islands.
Source & Image credit: LMG Marin
