Galicia | Brittany Ferries

Overview of Galicia

GALICIA is a Brittany Ferries Ro-Pax ferry which was completed in China during 2020.  She is the first of three similar E-Flexer class ferries being built for Stena RoRo in China for charter to Brittany Ferries.

Brittany Ferries intends to base GALICIA at Portsmouth to service the routes from there to Santander and Cherbourg.

The company has previously stated that she was ordered as a replacement for BAIE DE SEINE in the fleet. That ship was returned to owners DFDS earlier in 2020 and has re-adopted her previous name SIRENA SEAWAYS.

Entry to Service

GALICIA entered service for Brittany Ferries during December 2020. She will not be permanently allocated to the Santander and Cherbourg routes until Spring 2021, however. GALICIA is the first Brittany Ferries vessel to be themed around Spain according to the company. Stena’s favoured architect, Figura, was tasked with customising her interior design accordingly.

Although registered with a home port of Portsmouth when delivered, GALICIA switched to the French flag shortly after her arrival in Europe. This was done during a visit to Astander in Santander for a dry-docking which was required for her change of flag.

Some final touches were also applied ahead of her official “inauguration” presentation on 27 Nov 2020. This was Brittany Ferries first virtual ship launch and was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charter

GALICIA is the third ferry in Stena’s E-Flexer class to be completed, following STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA. Initially, Brittany Ferries will charter GALICIA for five years. The company has the option to extend the charter or purchase the ship outright after the initial charter period.

Differences with the Stena Line vessels

External appearance

Although similar in many aspects to her Stena Line part-sister ships, GALICIA has been customised specifically to Brittany Ferries requirements.  

Notably the dedicated car deck on deck 7 on the Stena Line vessels has been replaced by additional passenger cabins.  The superstructure of the Brittany Ferries ship also extends further aft, again allowing additional passenger cabins to be added. This means that in total GALICIA has 1,233 passenger berths compared to 684 on STENA EDDA and STENA ESTRID.  

GALICIA‘s passenger capacity is slightly higher than the Stena Line ships with 1015 passengers able to be carried instead of 923.  Another external difference is the provision of an additional lifeboat on each side, in part due to the slightly higher passenger capacity.

Perhaps the most visually noticeable change apart from the revised superstructure aft, is the division of the panoramic windows overlooking the bow. This change was made as a result of operational experience with STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA, and has also been made to STENA EMBLA. The latter was delivered to Stena Line during November 2020. It is expected that all subsequent E-Flexer’s will also be delivered with this revision.

Passenger facilities

For a more in depth look at GALICIA‘s passenger facilities, see our dedicated Galicia feature with deck plans here.

Unlike STENA EDDA and STENA ESTRID, GALICIA has no dedicated freight driver restaurant. The same space is used for the ‘Taberna de Tapas’ restaurant instead.  While the layout of the public spaces largely mirror those on the Stena ships, areas such as the ‘Sky Bar’ on the Stena ships have been rebranded (Plaza Mayor).  On Deck 7 the onboard shop has been extended aft and the ‘Barista’ coffee bar removed and replaced with a small lounge area and information screens.  

As with the Stena Line ships, Video on Demand is available throughout the vessel. GALICIA is the first vessel in the Brittany Ferries fleet to employ the technology.  

A three course meal and continental breakfast is included in the fare on GALICIA‘s Spanish crossings, and so the layout of the main restaurant (named ‘Azul’) has been altered to account for this.

Some changes have also been made to the sun deck on deck 10, notably the addition of a terraced area. The outside decks to the aft of the ship are also larger as a result of the enlarged superstructure on the Brittany Ferries vessel.

Brittany Ferries other two E-Flexer ferries, SALAMANCA and SANTONA, are expected to have a similar layout and feel to GALICIA.

Other differences

Although all E-Flexer ferries are designed to be fitted with Exhaust Gas Scrubber technology, GALICIA is the first to be equipped with such a system. This has no major effect on her external appearance, however. The use of this closed-loop gas scrubber system means that Brittany Ferries are able to burn lower cost fuel oil on GALICIA while still complying with all emissions legislation.

To date, GALICIA is the only E-Flexer delivered with a scrubber system as Stena Line preferrs to burn more expensive low-sulphur fuel in order to meet emissions limits.

Brittany Ferries has opted to equip its other two E-Flexer’s, SALAMANCA and SANTOÑA, with the capability to burn LNG as fuel instead of using diesel and scrubbers. The only other non-Stena Line E-Flexer at the time of writing, DFDS’s COTE D’OPALE, will also have scrubbers fitted from new.

In terms of machinery, GALICIA retains the same setup as STENA EDDA and STENA ESTRID apart from the addition of scrubbers.

GALICIA will be the only Brittany Ferries E-Flexer to retain the full 3,100lm freight capacity of the Stena Line E-Flexer ships. This is because SALAMANCA and SANTOÑA will have LNG equipment fitted on their lower freight deck.

Passenger vehicles will park on the same decks as freight as there is no dedicated car deck on Deck 7 as on the Stena Line E-Flexer’s.

While the tilting ramp to deck 7 has not been fitted to GALICIA due to there being no dedicated car deck, the tilting ramps between the other vehicle decks remain. As a result, the ship will be able to load on a single level rather than simultaneously over two levels of requires. This allows maximum operational flexibility for the ship.

GALICIA also retains the capability to simultaneously load over two levels through both the bow and stern as with the Stena Line E-Flexer ferries.

Other changes have been made to the construction process as a result of experience in building STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA as part of a continual effort to improve efficiency and quality at the shipyard.

The design and construction changes have in part led to Falk Rothe of DNV-GL (the ships certification society) claiming that GALICIA is “is the highest quality ship in this series so far” at the official delivery ceremony.

Passenger Facilities on Galicia

Brittany Ferries advertises the following passenger facilities as being available on GALICIA;

• Commodore C-Club lounge (premium lounge area)
• Reserved seating lounge (premium applicable)
• Restaurant Azul (Restaurant)
• Taberna de Tapas (Restaurant)
• Plaza Mayor (Bar)
• Boutique (Onboard Shop)
• Two Children’s play areas
• Travel & Sea exhibition area
• House of Las Meninas digital experience
• Information kiosks
• Sun deck with terrace (Deck 10) and outside deck areas (Decks 7, 8, 9)
• Video on Demand and WiFi throughout the ship
• A selection of cabin accommodation including premium cabins, 22 pet friendly cabins, suites, and wheelchair accessible cabins
• Enclosed dog kennels for small and large dogs, plus an outside exercise area on Deck 7.

Click here to visit our special feature for a detailed, deck by deck, look at GALICIA‘s passenger facilities.

Galicia Technical Data

	GALICIA
IMO Number	9856189
Callsign	FMMN
Class	Stena “E-Flexer” Passenger and Ro-Ro Cargo (Ro-Pax) ferry
Building Yard	China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) Co., Ltd., Shandong Province, China (previously known as AVIC Weihai Shipyard Co., Ltd)
Design	Stena / Deltamarin
Naval Architect	Deltamarin, Turku, Finland
Project Management	Stena RoRo Deltamarin, Turku, Finland (EPCM)
Interior designer and architect	Figura Arkitekter, Gothenburg, Sweden
Delivery and installation of public spaces, galleys, & cabins	R&M (Rheinhold & Mahla), Hamburg, Germany / Weihai, China
Galley Equipment	Aluminox SA, Greece
Contract date	Ordered by Stena RoRo on 11th March, 2016 (Part of a contract for 4 initial vessels with options for a further 2 + 2)
Hull Number	W0267
Certification	Class: DNV GL Class 1A Type: 410 – Car Ferry Additional class notations: 1A Ferry(A) BIS BWM(T) Clean COMF(V-2) E0 Ice(1C) NAUT(AW) Recyclable TMON(oil lubricated) VIBR 1
Operator	Brittany Ferries
Vessel Management	Brittany Ferries BAI SA Northern Marine Management (ISM)
In service	2 December 2020 (Santander – Portsmouth)
Usual Route	Santander – Portsmouth / Portsmouth – Cherbourg
Length Overall	214.5 m 1
Length BP	202.5 m 1
Beam	27.8 m (28.443 extreme) 1
Draught	6.7 m 1
Gross Tonnage	41,863 GT 2
DWT	7,700 1
Number of decks	10 (3 passenger decks plus sun deck)
Main Propulsion	Main-propulsion package supplied by Caterpillar Marine including 2 x Caterpillar MaK 12 M43 C V12 4-stroke marine diesel propulsion engines built by Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Rostock, Germany. Each main engine is coupled to a Caterpillar supplied gearbox (Renk RSHL-1120). 2 x Caterpillar (Berg) Feathering Controllable-Pitch Propellers MPP 1410f (PB58547). An in-line closed-loop exhaust gas scrubber is fitted to each main engine for emissions reduction. This ship is Gas Ready. Spaces for additional equipment for this retrofit have been included in the design. While the installed engines are “Gas Ready”, in order to run with Methanol or LNG these engines will require upgrading to MaK 12 M46 dual-fuel specification.
Machinery	3 x Wärtsilä 8L20 auxiliary engines, supplied by Wärtsila Finland Oy. 2 x Wärtsila WTT24 CP 2,400kW bow thrusters, supplied by Wärtsilä Netherlands (space provision is made for the addition of a third bow thruster should it be required in the future) 1 x S12A2-M(P)TA Emergency Generator, supplied by Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine Europe B.V. 1 x S12A2-M(P)TA Emergency Generator, supplied by Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine Europe B.V 2 x WE Tech 2,600kW permanent magnet shaft generators, with variable frequency drive (WE Drive) connected to a DC-link switchboard (WE Tech solution 4) for bow thrusters and Power Take Out (PTO) (WE Tech solution 1). 2 x “high lift” EMPRESS-EMPIRE (fully twisted leading edge and bulb, combined with a rudder flap) rudders, supplied by MM-Offshore GmbH, Germany (For increased efficiency, the propeller hubs are integrated into the rudder bulbs) 2 x Mitsubishi retractable fin stabilisers
Power (Max)	25,200 kW
Design Speed	22 kts
Passenger Capacity	1015
Crew	85
Passenger Cabins	343
Vehicle capacity	3,100 lane metres of freight (on decks 1, 3, and 5) Mezzanine car deck on Deck 5 starboard forms Deck 6
Lane Metre Breakdown	Deck 1 (lower hold): 345 lm approx. with 4.8m free height. Deck 3 (main freight deck): 1,320 lm approx. Deck 5 (upper freight deck): 1,435 lm approx.
Vehicle Access	Twin-level-drive-through loading configuration with direct access via bow and stern doors on decks 3 and 5. A tilting ramp between deck 3 and 5 allows all decks to be accessed via single-level shoreside facilities. Access to deck 1 is via a 3.3m wide fixed ramp covered by a hatch.
Flag state (port)	France (MORLAIX)

Galicia Key Supplier Information

	GALICIA
Shipyard	China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) Co., Ltd., China (Previously known as AVIC Weihai Shipyard Co., Ltd)
Design and Concept	Stena RoRo, Sweden
Consulting Naval Architect	Deltamarin, Finland
Hull Design	Deltamarin, Finland
Tank Testing	MARIN, Netherlands
Technical Consultant	Stena Teknik, Sweden
Project Management	Stena RoRo, Sweden / China
Engineering, Procurement, & Construction Management	Deltamarin, Finland / China
Interior Architecture	Figura Arkitekter, Gothenburg, Sweden
Interior Design	Figura Arkitekter, Gothenburg, Sweden
Certification Society	DNV-GL, Norway
Outfitting	R&M (Reinhold & Mahla), Hamburg, Germany / Weihai, China
Additional Outfitting
Main Engines	Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG (MaK), Germany
Gearbox and Controllable Pitch Propellers	Caterpillar Marine / Caterpillar Propulsion Production, Sweden  (Packaged gearbox’s manufactured by Renk, Germany)
Variable-Frequency Shaft Generators and Electrical Switchboard	We Tech, Finland
Auxiliary Engines	Wärtsilä, Finland (Manufactured in China)
Bow Thrusters	Wärtsilä Netherlands B.V., Netherlands
Emergency Generator	Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine Europe B.V., Netherlands
Stabilisers	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co. , Ltd.
Rudders	MM-Offshore GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany
Steering Gear	Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine, Norway
Access Equipment (including all ramps)	TTS Marine AB, Sweden / Finland
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning	Novenco, Denmark / China (package includes chillers AHU, VAV cabin units, fans and all control systems)
Glazing	Saint-Gobain S.A., France
Galley Equipment	Aluminox S.A., Greece
Furniture	Various (including R&M; Capdell, Spain; vitra, Switzerland; and bespoke joinery by the outfitting teams)
Lifts	Kone, Finland
Lifeboats	Jiangsu Jiaoyan Marine Equipment Co., Ltd, China
Fast Rescue Boat	Jiangsu Jiaoyan Marine Equipment Co., Ltd, China
Davits	Jiangsu Jiaoyan Marine Equipment Co., Ltd, China
Marine Evacuation System	Survitec / RFD Beaufort, United Kingdom
Fire fighting Equipment	Minimax / Marioff

Galicia Timeline / Key Dates

16.01.2019	Keel Laid
11.09.2019	Floated
03.09.2020	Delivered to Stena Ro-Ro Immediately chartered to BAI (Brittany Ferries)
11.09.2020	Left Weihai for Europe
12.09.2020	Arrived Qingdao
20.09.2020	Arrived Singapore
23.09.2020	Left Singapore for Suez then Europe
12.10.2020	First arrival and trials at Cherbourg
13.10.2020	First arrival and trials at Portsmouth
14.10.2020	First arrival and trials at Plymouth
15.10.2020	First arrivals and trials at both Bilbao and Santander
27.10.2020	Entered dry-dock at Astander Santander for flag-change survey and some final fitting out
30.10.2020	Flag changed from U.K. to France with a new home port of Morlaix (previously Portsmouth)
16.11.2020	Arrival back at Cherbourg
27.11.2020	“Virtual” inauguration ceremony. Streamed live over the internet
28.11.2020	Benediction ceremony with blessing by L’abbé Christian Bernard (Roscoff)
02.12.2020	Maiden commercial departure (Santander)
03.12.2020	Maiden commercial arrival (Portsmouth)
27.12.2021	During particularly high winds as a result of Storm Bella, GALICIA broke free of her mooring lines at approximately 3am. Nobody was injured and there was now damage to the environment as a result of the incident. Following an inspection by divers and the relevant authorities the ship was cleared to sail to Cherbourg as originally scheduled at 11pm.
27.03.23	Left Astander shipyard following routine maintenance and modifications to her upper bow access door to match that of SANTONA.

With special thanks to the Brittany Ferries Press Team for their help with this feature.

References and Further Reading

1. Vesselregister.dnvgl.com. 2020. DNV GL Vessel Register. [online] Available at: <https://vesselregister.dnvgl.com/vesselregister/vesselregister.html> [Accessed 22 January 2021].[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
2. Galicia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2021, from https://www.brittanyferriesfreight.co.uk/fleet/conventional-ferries/galicia[↩]