Dénia.com
Search

The Baleària 'Hypatia de Alejandría' begins to sail, the first natural-gas powered ferry in the Mediterranean

January 31 from 2019 - 09: 11

This week has taken place one of the great milestones in the history of the dianense shipping company Baleària. He Hypatia of Alexandria, The first smart ship Propelled by liquefied natural gas that sails in the Mediterranean, it has made its first commercial trip, between Barcelona and Palma.

The ferry arrived last Sunday night at the port of Barcelona, ​​coming from Venice, where the shipyards in which it has been built are located, Cantiere Navale Visentini.

President of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, he claimed that "The Hypatia of Alexandria marks an important milestone both in the history of Baleària as well as navigation in the Mediterranean, being the first passenger ferry powered by natural gas to cross these waters, and to be followed in a few months by its twin Marie Curie ".

The shipping company has invested 200 million euros in the construction of these two ships, an example of innovation and sustainability, powered by dual LNG and fuel engines (with a power of 20.600 KW).

Technological innovations on board

El Hypatia of Alexandria, besides starting a new era in Baleària marked by the use of liquefied natural gas as fuel, it is the company's first smart ship, which includes technological innovations at the service of the customer to improve its on-board experience.

Among the novelties highlights the digitization of all the signage, access to the cabins without going through the reception (thanks to the QR code that customers will receive on their mobile), the camera system installed in the accommodations of pets (which will allow passengers see them at all times through their smartphone) or self-service totems in the cafeteria and self-service (from where passengers will place their orders, and they will be notified to pick them up through digital screens, avoiding queues).

As for digital entertainment, the ship has a platform that allows hiring the Wi-Fi service and to which passengers can connect through their mobile devices to access television and cinema content, including the latest releases, as well as games and a selection of books and magazines. This platform with digital content on demand is also accessible from the smart TV of the cabins.

In Hypatia de Alejandría, smart technology and digitalization not only influence the passenger experience, they are also at the service of energy efficiency. Thus, the ground monitoring of the complete operation of the ship propulsion system is in the process of being implemented, which will ensure that it works optimally, as well as detect and resolve possible incidents at a distance.

Technical characteristics

The new ferry has 186,5 meters in length and capacity for 880 people, 2.194 linear meters of cargo and 166 vehicles. For the accommodation of passengers, has three seats (two standard and one higher) equipped with reclining seats, and 120 cabins, with capacity for up to four people, equipped with full bathroom, air conditioning, wifi and smart TV and system of digital entertainment, in addition to two cabins for people with reduced mobility. The Hypatia de Alejandría also has a shop, cafeteria, self-service and a la carte restaurant, and jacuzzis on the outdoor deck.

The name of the ship pays tribute to the teacher and scientist Hypatia de Alejandría, who offered unparalleled advances in the fields of mathematics and physics. In total there are six shipping companies that have been baptized with the names of women pioneers in their fields, in line with one of the goals established by the Sustainable Development Goals: equality and the empowerment of women.

Leave a comment

    37.861
    4.463
    12.913
    2.690