VESSEL REVIEW | Costanza I di Sicilia – Hybrid LNG-electric ferry to serve Italy's Sicily Region
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has handed over a new hybrid electric Ro-Pax ferry to local shipowner the Caronte and Tourist Group (CTG).
The vessel has been named Costanza I di Sicilia in honour of Constance I, who reigned as Queen of Sicily from 1194 to 1198.
Purpose-built for Mediterranean navigation
The ferry will be operated by transport company Siremar on behalf of CTG in and around the Sicily Region with calls at the ports on the main island of Sicily itself and on outlying islands within the Mediterranean.
The RINA-classed newbuild has a length of 138.4 metres (454.1 feet), a beam of 25.2 metres (82.7 feet), a draught of 5.1 metres (17 feet), a gross tonnage of 14,500, a crew complement of 38, and space for 962 passengers and 610 lane meters for transporting 200 cars or an equivalent total volume of freight. Loading and unloading are via a stern ramp door.
Hybrid propulsion enhancing operational flexibility
Power is provided by four 8,800kW (12,000hp) dual-fuel engines that can operate on MGO or LNG as a lower-emission alternative.
The hybrid propulsion arrangement, which also includes a battery pack, can deliver a maximum speed of 19 knots, allowing the ferry to sail one-way between Porto Empedocle and Lampedusa two hours faster compared to other vessels that serve the same route.
Stabilising fins will meanwhile permit berthing at the Port of Linosa even in rough seas.
The battery pack, together with an array of solar panels, supplies much of the electrical power needed by the vessel’s onboard systems, thus freeing up the engines for propulsion.
First vessel in a new series
According to the Sicily Region Government, use of batteries and solar panels will permit “zero-emission” port stays of up to four hours.
The onboard facilities include 137 passenger cabins with a total of 336 berths. Some cabins have been configured for passengers with limited mobility.
Construction of Costanza I di Sicilia took place at Fincantieri’s yard in Palermo, the capital city of the Sicily Region, and was completed at a cost of approximately €143 million (US$167 million).
The builder will soon begin construction of the second ferry in the same series.
