P&O newbuilding launched at Rauma shipyard
The Spirit of Britain, the first of two car and passenger ferries for P&O Ferries, was launched at STX Europe’s Rauma shipyard on June 8, 2010. When the ferry has been floated out, the first section of the second vessel Spirit of France will be placed in the dock. The Spirit of Britain’s sea trials are scheduled to take place in mid-October 2010 and the ship will be delivered in December 2010.
The 49,000 GT Spirit of Britain will be the largest ferry in the English Channel. The vessel will have capacity of 1,750 passengers and 3,746 lane metres of cargo capacity. Special attention has been paid to environmentally friendly solutions and safety. At the launching ceremony, Robert Woods, chairman of P&O Ferries Holdings Ltd, said that the new vessel will be able to carry twice as much cargo as the current vessels, but with the same fuel consumption. In his speech, he also said that the owner is very pleased with the performance of the shipyard.
The 49,000 GT Spirit of Britain will be the largest ferry in the English Channel. The vessel will have capacity of 1,750 passengers and 3,746 lane metres of cargo capacity. Special attention has been paid to environmentally friendly solutions and safety. At the launching ceremony, Robert Woods, chairman of P&O Ferries Holdings Ltd, said that the new vessel will be able to carry twice as much cargo as the current vessels, but with the same fuel consumption. In his speech, he also said that the owner is very pleased with the performance of the shipyard.