By
Rebecca Gibson |
HRH The Countess of Wessex is to officially christen Wightlink’s first hybrid battery-powered ferry, Victoria of Wight, on 20 September.
Built by Cemre shipyard in Turkey, the £30 million (US$39.3 million) Victoria of Wight will be named during a ceremony at Wightlink’s Fishbourne port on the Isle of Wight, which will be attended by local schoolchildren, civic dignitaries and invited guests. The ferry will also be blessed by The Right Reverend Christopher Foster, Lord Bishop of Portsmouth.
Following the ceremony, The Countess of Wessex will take a tour of the ferry and enjoy refreshments sourced from local Isle of Wight suppliers, as well as canapes produced by one of the island’s top chefs, Robert Thompson.
“Victoria of Wight heralds a new, greener era of travel between the Isle of Wight and the mainland and we are delighted that HRH The Countess of Wessex is able to join us to officially name our new flagship,” said Keith Greenfield, Wightlink’s chief executive. “This will be a very proud moment for Wightlink as we have worked very hard to develop this new generation ship with our partners, to give the next generation a greener – and more comfortable – journey across the Solent.”
Victoria of Wight will operate using a combination of battery power and conventional engines to minimise emissions, noise and vibrations. In addition, the vessel has an elevator that can generate electricity through kinetic energy and motion sensor LED lighting in lesser used areas, while her onboard water will be heated by warmth generated by the engine. This will make her the most environmentally friendly ferry to have ever operated on the route between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight.
The 1,000-guest vessel, which will accommodate up to 178 cars on two fixed vehicle decks, is the final milestone in Wightlink’s £45 million investment in the Portsmouth to Fishbourne route.