Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia shipyard in Naples has recently launched the 'F.A. Gauthier', the first gas-powered ferry to be built in Italy and the first such vessel to operate in North America.
The vessel is under construction for Canada's Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ), a Québec government-run maritime passenger transport body. Fincantieri won the order in July 2012 for delivery to Canada in late-2014.
The 'F.A. Gauthier' measures 133 metres in length overall with a beam of 22 metres. Adopting an array of advanced energy efficiency and environmentally friendly solutions, the vessel boasts a significant reduction in carbon, nitrogen and sulphur particulate emissions.
The vessel's propulsion system features an integrated diesel-electric package built around four dual-fuel diesel/LNG power generators. These generators power two electric propulsion engines which drive azimuthing thrusters.
This system fully meets the ecological requirements of all emissions control areas (ECA), including the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Caribbean Ocean.
Classed to ice class 1 A and propulsion class 1 AS, the vessel is certified to the highest attainable class requirements, allowing the vessel to operate in Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is known for adverse weather conditions. Additionally, the vessel is equipped with a Fincantieri-designed bow and stern shape, bestowing the craft with icebreaking capabilities.
Equipped with both counter-rotating propellers and transverse propellers, the 'F.A. Gauthier' is highly manoeuvrable. When combined with a complex and extensive system of ramps and doors at both bow and stern, the vessel is able to load and unload to a very fast turnaround.
Once in service, the vessel will have an operating speed of 20 knots and will be able to carry more than 800 passengers. She will be used in the Province of Québec for multiple services on the MataneBaie-ComeauGodbout route, which, with 1,600 sailings a year, provides transport for more than 205,000 passengers and over 118,000 vehicles.
Stefano Fermi