Baleària unveils design of all-electric fast ferries to operate on Spain-Morocco 1st green corridor

Spanish ferry operator Baleària has embarked on a project to implement the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco, which will be served by two 100% electric, zero-emission fast ferries.

These twin ships will be deployed on the “most sustainable” connection between Europe and Africa, linking the cities of Tarifa, Spain, and Tangier, Morocco.

“This is a pioneering and technologically advanced public-private project that will enable us, for the first time ever, to run the entire route using only electric energy and, therefore, zero emissions,” Adolfo Utor, Baleària’s President and Owner, commented.

Last December, Baleària was awarded the contract by the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) to manage the Tarifa-Tangier Ville line for the next 15 years. The APBA prioritized technical and environmental criteria in awarding the first intercontinental green line.

“The Port Authority laid the foundations for this project, which is in line with our innovation and sustainability values. We are taking on the challenge of turning the Tarifa-Tangier Ville line into an example of mobility, modernity and international sustainability,” Utor emphasized.

These twin catamarans will be built at the Armon shipyard in Gijón over the next two and a half years. Each boat will have 16 MW of electric power, thanks to four electric propulsion units fueled by batteries. Their 11,500 kWh capacity will allow the ships to make the entire voyage (18 miles) under electric propulsion and emissions-free.

“They will be totally decarbonised voyages, which will comply, from 2027, with the 2050 objectives,” Utor pointed out. He added that electric propulsion, in addition to avoiding emissions, eliminates noise and vibrations.

Each ship will also have four diesel combustion backup generators, with a total capacity of 11,200 kW, for possible eventualities.

The fast ferries’ batteries need to be fully recharged during the one-hour stopover in each port. To do this, 8 MWh gross batteries will be installed in both ports, which will be added to the shore power supply (5 MW in Tarifa and 8 MW in Tangier).

The charging will be carried out by two innovative autonomous robotic arms installed in each port, which will be connected to the ship via the ship’s onshore power system (OPS) connection.

“This innovative system will allow us to recharge the batteries needed for the route in just 40 minutes,” Utor explained.

Between the onboard and shore systems, the total battery capacity will be 39 MWh gross (equivalent to around 765 electric cars).

The company’s head stressed that this is “a public-private project, with a Spanish shipping company, shipyard and financier, which also involves the participation of benchmark national and international companies in the fields of engineering and energy, such as Cotenaval, Endesa, Amendis and Incat Crowther.”

For the president of Baleària, it represents a key link, which he defines as “a green umbilical cord uniting two countries with a close historical, cultural, economic and commercial relationship.”

Utor also pointed out the shipping company’s intention to “turn the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route into a talent-attraction pole, a focus of development opportunities and a catalyst for the local economy and employment.”

The Spanish Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, stated that “the decarbonisation of transport is one of the Ministry’s priorities.”

In this respect, he acknowledged “the commitment to sustainability and the enormous efforts being made by Baleària to promote the decarbonisation of its fleet and its commitment to innovation.”

For his part, Arturo Bernal, Andalusia’s Minister of Tourism and External Affairs, welcomed the fact that the region is once again ‘a pioneer in sustainability’. With an expected four million passengers, Bernal praised the commitment of Baleària and the port authority.

“The APBA wants to drive the energy transition, as well as facilitate strategic projects such as this one,” Gerardo Landaluce, President of the Algeciras Bay Port Authority, said.

Landaluce highlighted “the firm commitment to innovation and environmental protection through the electrification of the docks”, which will involve an investment of €62 million OPS projects in Tarifa and Algeciras. He also indicated that the land access to the Port of Tarifa will be improved. ⁠

Baleària’s next-generation ships

The design of Baleària’s ships is similar to its two other natural-gas-powered fast ferries, the Eleanor Roosevelt and the Margarita Salas (also built in Armon), but optimized for the ports of Tarifa and Tangier Ville.

They will have a beam width of 25 meters, a capacity for 804 passengers and 225 cars, and a maximum speed of 26 knots.

The catamarans will also be highly maneuverable thanks to bridge ailerons, two bow thrusters, and four rudders. They will also have two high-capacity stern ramps to optimize operations and maneuvers in port.

Baleària’s fleet strategy is based on eco-efficient smart ships. The ferry operator is working on projects linked to the energies of the future with a view to the goal of zero emissions by 2050.

The shipping company has a fleet of 11 gas-powered ships and is one of the pioneers in the use of electric energy: since 2023 it has welcomed two electric propulsion ships in its fleet, the Cap de Barbaria, the first electric passenger and cargo ferry in Spain with zero emissions on approaches and stays in port, and the Rusadir, a cruise ferry equipped with an electric propulsion system powered by dual natural gas engines.