Dutch independent LNG supplier Titan LNG and French shipping company Brittany Ferries have signed a long-term agreement for the supply of LNG and LBM to two new LNG-fueled hybrid Ro-Pax vessels.
Brittany Ferries will operate these vessels between England and France from 2025. The ferries will serve routes connecting Portsmouth with Saint-Malo, and Portsmouth with Ouistreham.
The two 194.7 metre, 1,400-passenger LNG -hybrid ships will join the fleet in 2024 and 2025. They will replace the vessels Bretagne (1989) and Normandie (1992). In addition, they will follow two new LNG-fueled ships; Salamanca, which entered service in March this year, and Santoña which will arrive in 2023.
Titan LNG wants to supply LNG and liquified biomethane (LBM) to both vessels during usual cargo operations alongside (SIMOPS) to avoid delays to sailing schedules. The vessels will have a large battery hybrid power system of 10 MWh for propulsion and an 8 MW electric shore connection that will allow charging in port. It will also significantly cut emissions. Régine Portocarero from Titan LNG said: “We believe strong partnerships are essential for the maritime industry to successfully decarbonise. Furthermore, thanks to the unique farmer-shareholder ownership structure that underpins Brittany Ferries we see great potential in available stocks for local LBM production.” “Ships like Salamanca , Santoña and our forthcoming hybrid ships are cleaner today and greener tomorrow,” added Frederic Pouget from Brittany Ferries. “Thanks to LNG, they promise an immediate and significant improvement in air quality and a reduction in GHG emissions. They are greener tomorrow because they can run on fuels like LBM and, later, future fuels like hydrogen-derived liquid methane, all without adaptations. These fuels will slash well-to-wake GHG emissions further. Our new vessels will therefore automatically become greener when these fuels arrive and there is great potential for expanding the development of the LBM value chain with Titan LNG.”
This partnership marks the significant expansion of Titan’s operations in the English Channel. This is to enhance the availability of LNG, LBM, and in the longer run hydrogen -derived LNG in the region.
Titan will bring additional barge capacity to meet this demand. There are plans for a Krios series vessel to serve Brittany Ferries.