Balearia said in a statement that the ferry has been chartered since March this year and it operates on the Malaga-Melilla route, according to LNG Prime. The firm did not say from whom it bought the ferry and at what price.
According to Norway’s Fosen, the shipbuilder delivered this ferry, previously known as Honfleur, to Siem Industries on May 22, 2022, after 19 months of work at its yard in Rissa.
French shipping company Brittany Ferries ordered this LNG-powered ship at Germany’s Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) in 2017 for about 175 million pounds ($222 million) and with a scheduled delivery in 2019.
However, after many delays, this contract was cancelled in June 2020, when the vessel was half-finished, as FSG filed for insolvency, Fosen said.
In the fall the same year, the vessel was taken over by Siem Industries and towed to Fosen’s yard in Rissa for completion, it said. The 187 meters long ferry has LNG dual-fuel engines and an electric propulsion, while it is capable of sailing at 22 knots of speed. This ship has a capacity for 1,670 passengers and 2,600 linear meters of cargo.
Rusadir is equipped with 261 cabins and common areas such as a lobby bar, cafeterias, restaurant, children’s area, and a designated prayer area, Balearia said.
With the purchase of this vessel, Balaria now owns 11 LNG-powered ferries, including converted vessels. Spanish shipbuilder Armon Gijon recently launched Balearia’s second LNG dual-fuel fast ferry, Margarita Salas. Balearia expects this new ferry to start operations next summer.