The UK’s first LNG-powered ferry, Salamanca, has left Portsmouth on its inaugural voyage to Spain, according to French shipping firm Brittany Ferries.
Brittany Ferries said in a statement the vessel departed on Sunday with more than 600 passengers and freight vehicles destined for Bilbao.
The company took delivery of the vessel it chartered from Sweden’s Stena RoRo on November 30, but it will not be the only one in the company’s fleet.
By 2025 four LNG ferries would call Portsmouth home, including two hybrids, Brittany Ferries said.
Salamanca will make two round trips to Bilbao each week. The vessel will also make a weekly return voyage to Cherbourg in France.
“All the while she will be powered by a fuel which promises a smoother, quieter ride for passengers, as well as fewer emissions from her funnel,” the firm said.
Brittany Ferries will strengthen its partnership with Portsmouth even further next year when Salamanca’s sister ship Santona joins the fleet.
LNG-powered Santona will connect Portsmouth with Santander, the capital of Cantabria and gateway to so-called green Spain.
Both Bilbao and Santander Ports will host bunkering terminals to power the ships, supplied by Repsol.
