VESSEL REVIEW | Pietro Mondello – New Italian hybrid ferry for operation on Messina Strait

Italian operator the Caronte and Tourist Group (CTG) recently took delivery of a new double-ended Ro-Pax ferry built by Sefine Shipyard of Turkey. Designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin, the vessel has been named Pietro Mondello after the father of CTG President Olga Franza Mondello.

The ferry is a near-identical sister of Elio, which was delivered to CTG in 2018 to serve the company’s Messina Strait route between Messina and Villa San Giovanni. The new ferry will also be operated on this route.

Significant transport capacities

The RINA-classed newbuild has an LOA of 133.6 metres (438.3 feet), a beam of 21.5 metres (70.5 feet), a draught of 4.5 metres (15 feet), a gross tonnage of 8,778, and space for 1,500 passengers (900 during winter) and up to 290 cars (or 38 trailers) on two decks.

Vehicle access between the partially covered upper deck and the fully enclosed main deck is via folding ramps. Both vehicle decks have a maximum height of five metres (16 feet) and maximum load per axle of 13 tonnes.

Electric propulsion to permit low-emission port operations

Three 3,000kW (4,000hp) dual-fuel engines that can operate on diesel and LNG drive two Kongsberg Maritime 2,500kW azimuthing thrusters to deliver a maximum speed of 19 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots. The LNG fuel is fed from a 150-cubic-metre (5,300-cubic-foot) tank.

Unlike Elio, Pietro Mondello is hybrid-powered thanks to the installation of a 2MWh battery pack that will be used during manoeuvres in port and while berthed.

The acquisition of Pietro Mondello is part of CTG’s fleet renewal plan, which has a value of €250 million (US$260 million) and also entails the delivery of three additional ferries from the same series within the next two years.