French and Spanish ferry operator Brittany Ferries unveiled the latest addition to its fleet, Galicia. Due to the pandemic the debut event for the new ship took place virtually, in an online inauguration ceremony – a first for the company and the maritime sector, the company said in its release.
The brand-new super-ferry, built at the CMJL shipyard in Weihai, China, is the first in a trio of sisterships – and represents a key milestone in Brittany Ferries’ fleet renewal programme. Galicia’s future sisterships Salamanca and Santoña will arrive in 2022 and 2023.
Galicia is an ‘E-Flexer’ class ferry. At 215 metres long she is the largest-ever Brittany Ferries ship and will carry over three kilometres of freight and passenger vehicles.
Galicia will serve routes linking Portsmouth and Santander (northern Spain) and Portsmouth and Cherbourg (Normandy).
The ship has been designed with the environment and efficiency in mind. Particular attention has been given to Galicia’s fuel-efficient propulsion plant and its long, slender hull and bow, with fine lines giving excellent seakeeping in all weathers, and a significantly lower emissions footprint compared to other ships of a similar size.
Galicia will make its first commercial crossing between Santander and Portsmouth on 2nd December.
Key company figures (normal year):
Turnover: Approximately €444.2m per year
Multi-million Euro investment in three new ships, including two powered by cleaner LNG (liquefied natural gas)
Employment – Between 2,400 and 3,100 employees (including 1,700 seafarers), depending on the season. 360 in the UK.
Passengers: Between 2.5 and 2.7 million each year travelling in approximately 900,000 cars
Freight: 205,400 units transported annually, and one freight-only route linking Bilbao and Poole
Twelve ships operating services that connect France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain
Twelve ports in total: Bilbao, Santander, Portsmouth, Poole, Plymouth, Cork, Rosslare, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Saint-Malo, Roscoff
Tourism in Europe: There were 854,000 unique visitors, staying 9.2 million bed-nights in France.