Brittany Ferries has announced that the final vessel in its current fleet renewal programme will be named GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE.
GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE (William of Normandy) will replace NORMANDIE on the company’s busiest route, between Portsmouth and Caen (Ouistreham), during 2025. The ship is named after William the Conqueror who is buried near Caen.
GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE, which will be the fifth brand-new ferry to be delivered to Brittany Ferries within 5 years, will be one of the largest hybrid ferries in the world when she joins the Brittany Ferries fleet during 2025. As with part-sister SAINT-MALO, GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE is a 194.7m long LNG-Electric vessel based on Stena’s E-Flexer platform.
Lower Emissions
Both SAINT-MALO and GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE are currently under construction in China at CMI Jinling (Weihai). Each ship will have around 11.5 MWh of battery storage capacity, more than any current ferry, and be able to run on Brittany Ferries‘ preferred fuel LNG or Diesel. According to the company, using LNG will reduce climate change emissions by between 20 and 25 percent. Brittany Ferries already has two LNG-fuelled ships in the fleet – SALAMANCA and SANTOÑA.
Initially, GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE’s batteries will be charged using the excess energy produced by her engines while sailing in open sea, but both Caen and Portsmouth have plans to install shoreside charging facilities. Once shoreside charging becomes available in both ports, Brittany Ferries estimates that there will be an additional 15 percent reduction in climate change emissions.
When approaching or leaving port, GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE will be able to switch to battery power making the vessel zero-emission. Unlike some other hybrid vessels, GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE and SAINT-MALO will be able to operate at full power using only battery energy.
Additionally, GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE and SAINT-MALO will also be able operate in hybrid mode at sea, using their batteries in combination with the main engines. The use of batteries is expected to reduce total fuel consumption by about 9% in service despite them initially being charged by the onboard engines.
GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE replaces NORMANDIE which, having been built in 1992, is much less technically advanced despite continual upgrades over the past 30 years. GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE’s long sleek hull is said to be up to 10 percent more efficient than older ferries, further reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The two Wärtsillä main engines fitted to GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE are also far more efficient than the four Wärtsilä-Crepelle units fitted to NORMANDIE.
GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE will offer similar facilities to GALICIA, SANTOÑA, and SALAMANCA and have 220 passenger cabins. These will include 21 pet-friendly cabins, six Commodore suites, 32 Commodore club cabins, and 5 accessible cabins.
Comparison of Brittany Ferries’ five new ferries
| Galicia | Salamanca / Santoña | Saint-Malo | Guillaume de Normandie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 214.5 m | 214.5 m | 194.7 m | 194.7 m |
| Passengers | 1,015 | 1,015 | 1,290 | 1,310 |
| Cabins | 343 | 340 | 386 | 220 |
| Freight units | Up to 155 (3,100 lane metres) | 2,758 lane metres | Up to 63 (approx. 1,100 lm) plus a separate deck for passenger cars | Up to 120 (approx, 2,100 lm) |
| Propulsion | Diesel mechanical (with exhaust gas scrubbers) | LNG mechanical | LNG electric plugin hybrid | LNG electric plugin hybrid |
| Engines | 2 x 12,600 kW Caterpillar MaK 12 M43 diesel engines (upgradeable to dual-fuel) | 2 x 13,740 kW Wärtsilä 12V46DF dual-fuel engines | 2 x 13,740 kW Wärtsilä 12V46DF dual-fuel engines | 2 x 13,740 kW Wärtsilä 12V46DF dual-fuel engines |
| Service Speed | 22 kts | 23 kts | 23 kts | 23 kts |
| Delivery | 2020 | 2022 / 2023 | Late 2024 | 2025 |
