Italian ferry company GNV, part of the MSC Group, has taken delivery of the GNV Virgo, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered vessel in its fleet. The delivery ceremony for the new Ro-Pax ship took place on October 22 at the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) shipyard in China.
The company noted that GNV Virgo is the third vessel delivered under GNV's fleet renewal plan, which includes eight newbuilds by 2030. The ship will soon depart for Italy, where a christening ceremony is scheduled for December 11 in the port of Palermo, before it enters service on the Genoa-Palermo route.
GNV Virgo has a gross tonnage of approximately 52,300, a length of 218 metres, and a beam of 29.6 metres. The ship has a maximum speed of 25 knots. It features over 420 cabins, can accommodate 1,785 passengers, and offers a cargo capacity of 2,770 lane metres.
The company stated the ship is equipped with new environmental technologies, capable of a 50 per cent reduction in local emissions compared to previous-generation ships.
It is also fully equipped for cold ironing (connection to shoreside electricity), and has selective catalytic reduction systems and heat recycling technologies installed.
