Salamanca | Technical Information and Key Dates

Technical Highlights

SALAMANCA is the first Stena E-Flexer class ferry to be powered by Brittany Ferries preferred supplier Wärtsilä, rather than by Caterpillar-MaK main engines. This is a consequence of her requiring engines with higher power output to reliably achieve a slightly higher contract speed (23 kts) than the previous members of the E-Flexer class.

The two Wärtsilä 12V46DF dual-fuel main engines each drive a Wärtsilä-supplied propeller via Flender reduction gears.  Previous E-Flexers, including GALICIA, were specified with Renk reduction gearing and Borg propellers supplied by Caterpillar.

It appears likely that all future ordered E-Flexer ferries will also be equipped with Wärtsilä engines as Caterpillar has decided to stop manufacturing MaK medium speed diesel engines by the end of 2022.  Wärtsilä has already confirmed that it has won orders to supply main engines for three LNG-battery hybrid E-Flexer’s, including two for Brittany Ferries.  This is in addition to SALAMANCA’s sister ship SANTOÑA.

Proven Hull Form

As with GALICIA, SALAMANCA uses the standard Stena E-Flexer hull-form. This long and slender hull is specifically designed for fuel efficiency, good seakeeping, and reduced environmental impact and was designed using the late hydrodynamic technology and thinking.

The E-Flexer hull form is said to have an excellent an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Stena claim fuel savings of 25% versus older designs.  This efficient hull shape in combination with specially formulated antifouling paint, a ducktail interceptor to reduce wake and optimise hull performance, and optimised grids over the thrusters combine to make E-Flexer one of the most efficient ferry types in operation today.

Access Arrangements and Vehicle Decks

In common with the other E-Flexer ferries, SALAMANCA is built with a twin-level drive-through loading configuration. However, despite having the same exterior dimensions as previous members of the series, SALAMANCA has a lower vehicle capacity.

As with GALICA, the space occupied by the dedicated passenger car deck on the standard E-Flexer vessels is given over to passenger cabin accommodation. Instead, like GALICIA, on busy sailings a mezzanine deck can be deployed on the starboard side of the upper vehicle deck. Additionally, SALAMANCA also gives over most of her lower hold to housing two large LNG fuel tanks. There is also a small reduction in capacity on deck 3 versus non-LNG E-Flexers as this is where the LNG refuelling points, one on either side of the vehicle deck, are located.

SALAMANCA’s access equipment was supplied by MacGregor subsidiary TTS, as with the other vessels in the E-Flexer class.

Classification

Although SALAMANCA was designed and built under DNV-GL supervision and originally classed by the same organisation, she has since been re-classed by Bureau Veritas.  SALAMANCA attained the same GNV-GL notations as the previous E-Flexer ferries.  These are; Clean (controlling and limiting operational emissions and discharges), COMF-(V2) (interior comfort from noise and vibration) and VIBR (compliance with a set of criteria governing the levels of vibration produced in/by the structure, machinery, and equipment installed onboard); despite key technical differences with the vessels which came before her.

Key Technical Data – Salamanca

Below is a summary of some of SALAMANCA’s key technical data.

Name	SALAMANCA
IMO Number	9867592
Callsign	5BVL5
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, Göteborg, Sweden Deltamarin, Turku, Finland (EPCM)
Contract date	Ordered by Stena RoRo on 22.05.2018
Hull Number	W0269
Certification	Class: Bureau Veritas Ro-ro passenger ship,SRTP,dualfuel Additional class notations:  COMF-VIB 2 , GREEN PASSPORT EU ,  AUT-UMS ,  SYS-NEQ-1 , MON-SHAFT , BWT , CLEANSHIP , ICE CLASS IC , INWATERSURVEY
Operator	Brittany Ferries
Vessel Management	Brittany Ferries BAI SA
In service	27 March 2022
Usual Route	Bilbao – Portsmouth Portsmouth – Cherbourg
Length Overall	214.5m
Length BP	202.515 m1
Beam	27.8 m (28.443 extreme)1
Draught	6.6 m1
Gross Tonnage	41,716 GT1
DWT	7,7001
Number of decks	10 (3 passenger decks plus sun deck)
Machinery	Main-propulsion package supplied by Wärtsilä.  This includes: 2 x Wärtsilä  W12V46DF V12 4-stroke dual-fuel 13,740 kW main engines, each of which drives a Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller via a Flender GHCK1120 reduction gearbox.  3 x Wärtsilä 9L20DF dual-fuel auxiliary generator engines and one MHI S12A2 emergency generator 2 x  Wärtsilä WTT24 CP 2,400 kw bow thrusters Access equipment supplied by TTS (MacGregor / Cargotec Corporation)
LNG Capacity	783 m3
Power (Max)	27,480 kW
Design Speed	23 kts
Passenger Capacity	1015*
Crew	85*
Passenger Cabins	341 including 3 deluxe cabins, 22 pet cabins, 7 cabins for disabled passengers and 37 “pullman” cabins with shared facilities*
Vehicle capacity	2,723* lane metres of freight with 5.2 m free height on deck 3 and 5 Twin-level drive-through loading configuration with bow and stern doors and tilting internal ramp between decks 3 and 5. Deck 3: 1,307 lm* Deck 5: 1,415 lm* A limited number of drop trailers can be accommodated in the 450 m2 lower hold (deck 1), forward of the LNG tanks*. * Data taken directly from SALAMANCA general arrangement plan.
Flag state (port)	Morlaix (France)

Salamanca – Key supplier’s 

Construction yard	CMI Jinling (Wehiai) Shipyard
Concept design	Stena RoRo
Marine architect	Deltamarin
Project management	Stena RoRo Deltamarin (EPCM)
Main engines	Wärtsilä Italia
Main generator engines	Wärtsilä Finland
Emergency generator	MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industry) Equipment Europe
Auxiliary boilers	Saacke VKK
Controllable Pitch Propellers	Wärtsilä Norway
Bow thrusters	Wärtsilä Netherlands
Reduction gearboxes	Flender
Interior design and architecture	Figura Arkitekter
Turnkey interior outfit	R&M (Reinhold & Mahla)
Galley and bar outfit	Aluminox
Shipyard for final finishing	Astilleros de Astander
Final interior finishing for Brittany Ferries (in Spain)	Oliver Design

Salamanca – Key Dates

May 2018	Salamanca ordered
10 September 2019	Steel cutting
23 April 2020	Keel laid
6 January 2021	Floating out
30 November 2021	Official delivery ceremony (in Sweden due to Covid restrictions) and completion date.
08 December 2021	Re-classed by Bureau Veritas
10 December 2021	Departure from China on voyage to Europe
16 December  2021	Brittany Ferries crew take charge of ship in Singapore, supported by Northern Marine management delivery crew
12 January 2022	Arrival in Bilbao
18 January 2022	SALAMANCA switches from Cypriot to French flag
5 February 2022	Blessing at Roscoff
27 March 2022	First commercial sailing from Portsmouth to Bilbao

Other articles in this series

1. Vesselregister.dnvgl.com. 2022. DNV GL Vessel Register. [online] Available at: <https://vesselregister.dnvgl.com/vesselregister/vesselregister.html> [Accessed 13 February 2022]. [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]