Baleària to deploy 'Eco-Efficient' ship on newly announced Dominican Republic - Puerto Rico route

Baleària plans to invest $100 million in the start-up of this new maritime link

Spanish ferry company Baleària has detailed plans for a new route between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico which it says will be served by an ‘eco-efficient’ ship that ‘could become the first natural gas-powered ferry in the Caribbean, Bunkersport reports.

Announced at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), it is expected that, starting in November, Baleària will connect the Dominican port of San Pedro de Macorís with the Puerto Rican port of Mayagüez, on a daily, six-hour ferry crossing of 133 miles.

‘This new regular service will be part of the communication infrastructure and a key driver for the progress, socioeconomic development and connectivity of the two regions,’ commented Baleària President, Adolfo Utor.

‘We have a keen interest in continuing to expand our business model in the Caribbean area, an emerging market with a great deal of potential.’

Baleària plans to invest $100 million in the start-up of this new maritime link, which it says: ‘will benefit from the company's strategic innovation and sustainability, offering combined transport for passengers, vehicles and goods, with daily and reliable connections.’

As part of this public-private project, Baleària intends to build a multifunctional passenger terminal in the port of San Pedro de Macorís and adapt the existing facilities in the port of Mayagüez ‘to bring them up to European quality standards.’ Both terminals will have a gangway and finger jetty as well as a ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of vehicles.

Baleària has been operating in the Caribbean since 2011, where it currently connects the North American port of Fort Lauderdale with the Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama and Bimini. This new service will be Baleària's third route in the Caribbean and its sixth internationally.