By
Rebecca Gibson |
Fincantieri launched the first ever dual-fuel passenger ferry to be built in Italy at its Castellammare di Stabia yard in Naples on 28 June.
Named in honour of Félix-Adrien Gauthier, mayor of the town of Matane from 1960-1963 and founder of the Matane–Godbout ferry route, F-A-Gauthier has been built for Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ), a corporation of the Québec government.
Scheduled for delivery in late 2014, the 800-passenger ferry will be the first ever gas-powered ferry to operate in North America. The 133 m ship is equipped with an integrated diesel electric propulsion system with four dual-fuel generators that can run on either traditional marine diesel oil or LNG fuel. By using this system, STQ can significantly reduce its carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, while sulphur oxide emissions will be completely eliminated. This will enable the ferry to sail in emission control areas in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Caribbean and North America.
In addition, F-A-Gauthier is certified for ice class 1 A and propulsion class 1 AS, allowing her to operate in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The ferry is also able to break sea ice due to its innovative bow and stern, which was designed and patented by Fincantieri.
The ferry’s two electric propulsion engines operate azimuth thrusters, each equipped with two countrar-rotating propellers, which work with transverse propellers to increase the ferry’s manoeuvrability. When combined with the extensive system of ramps and doors at both the bow and stern, this will enable crew to load and unload the vessel quickly.
F-A-Gauthier has a service speed of 20 knots and will sail in the Province of Québec, offering multiple services on the Matane–Baie-Comeau–Godbout route. The route provides 1,600 sailings a year for more than 205,000 passengers and over 118,000 vehicles.