The world's first fast ferry with natural gas engines, the Eleanor Roosevelt of Baleària, the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route will begin to operate during the month of April. With the incorporation of this innovative catamaran, Baleària positions sustainability and digitization, as well as a comfortable and fast service, in the connections between the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community. The shipping company has invested 90 million euros in this fast ferry with capacity for 1.200 passengers and 450 cars.
"We are committed to the Balearic Islands as a destination with our new flagship, a pioneering fast ferry worldwide in terms of sustainability and innovation", explained the president of the shipping company, Adolfo Utor. "Twenty years ago we already revolutionized the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route by incorporating high speed and now we are taking a further step with a ship that, in addition to being fast, is eco-efficient and smart."
Comfort and safety have been prioritized in the design of the ship. On the one hand, the interiors have been adapted to the current context, taking into account the distance between seats and wider corridors and spaces. On the other hand, the new catamaran has high-tech innovations that considerably reduce movement, vibrations and noise, benefiting the comfort of passengers during the crossing.
Technology is also a differentiating element of the services of this green and smart ship, which include a free platform for digital entertainment (series, cinema, games and press), video surveillance of pets through webcams or the Internet and WhatsApp coverage for text messages throughout the voyage. The digitization of the entrances will facilitate the maintenance of the safety distances: the passengers will receive the boarding pass through WhatsApp, with the indication of the assigned seat.
Access to the passenger area is through an escalator or elevator and all the seats on the ship are reclining, both unusual elements in high-speed ships. The Eleanor Roosevelt has several coffee shops, as well as a food truck on the outside deck and a children's area. The catamaran has three VIP lounges with panoramic smart glass windows that adapt to the lighting conditions.
The ship is in the final phase of construction and testing of the equipment at the Armon shipyard in Gijón. In a few weeks, the world's first fast ferry with gas engines will sail in the Balearic Islands and will be the seventh in the fleet of Baleària in using this fuel that reduces polluting emissions. It should be remembered that in 2020 the shipping company stopped emitting 37.000 tons of CO2 thanks to its gas fleet. It is estimated that each year the Eleanor Roosevelt will reduce CO02 emissions equivalent to eliminating more than 8.900 conventional passenger cars or planting almost 27.000 trees. The actual fuel consumption and the efficiency of the engines will be monitored thanks to the measurement equipment and sensors installed on board, within the framework of a project co-financed by CEF funds from the European Commission.
