Brittany Ferries’ LNG-electric hybrid vessel begins sea trials

September 26, 2024 Editor

Brittany Ferries’ LNG-electric hybrid vessel, named Saint-Malo, has begun sea trials ahead of its transit to Europe in November 2024.

LNG-electric hybrid vessel

The vessel runs on LNG at sea and electric power when maneuvering, as well as when alongside in port thanks to shore-side power. Plug-in power will come to Portsmouth International Port via the UK government’s £80m (US$107m) clean maritime R&D project, named The Sea Change Project. Preparatory work is already underway in the port, ready for the arrival of shore-power-ready ships on two berths.

Saint-Malo replaces Bretagne. Launched in 1989, the older vessel will sail for the final time on November 3, 2024. Saint-Malo’s voyage to Europe will begin in the autumn of 2024. Following ramp trials, staff training, tweaks and fine-tuning, she will enter service in February 2025 and will link Portsmouth with Saint-Malo in France.

Sea trials

During these sea trials, the company will test the vessel’s systems and sea-worthiness under realistic conditions for the first time – including the main and auxiliary engines, pumps, alarms and safety systems such as firefighting equipment. The schedule also includes speed and maneuverability tests and an assessment of noise and vibration at sea. Propeller reversal tests will demonstrate the ship’s ability to stop within a limit specified in Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations, when traveling at top speed.

The sea trials are also the opportunity for a shipbuilder to demonstrate to the end user that contractual conditions have been met, paving the way to pass ownership from the shipbuilder to Brittany Ferries.

Passenger experience

The ship’s 10 decks house 387 cabins, 28 of which will be pet-friendly; it has a capacity of 1,290 passengers. There will also be a luxury Admiral Cabin, a cabin for six occupants and cabins designed for those with allergies. There will also be an exclusive club lounge and an art collection hosting 150 works by Alexander Goudie.

The vessel’s interior design was created in partnership with the Brittany region to make passengers feel like they have arrived in Brittany when they step on board.

“Saint-Malo will be the fourth new vessel to join the fleet, part of the biggest fleet renewal project in our company’s 52-year history,” said Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries. “This vessel and her sister ship, Guillaume de Normandie, are significant steps on our journey to a more sustainable future. Cleaner and greener is one thing, but these new hybrids will also be love letters to the regions they serve. So stepping on board will be like your first step into a region where your holiday begins.”

Saint-Malo also features a more spacious garage, wider interior spaces and more comfortable beds than the ship it replaces, to improve the comfort and accessibility offered to passengers. Additionally, video-on-demand is available throughout the ship, including in cabins.

The new ship will host two restaurants: Le Littoral and Le Jardin. These will feature locally sourced produce, some of which may have been grown on the farms of the company president and shareholders, the majority of whom are reportedly still Breton farmers. There will be a luxury club lounge and a spacious bar.