The first steel for Brittany Ferries’ new eco-friendly ship for the Portsmouth – St Malo route was cut earlier today, 5 September. The new ship, named SAINT-MALO, will replace the oldest ship in the company’s fleet, BRETAGNE.
SAINT-MALO will be powered by LNG and batteries, making her a hybrid vessel. Based on Stena’s popular E-Flexer platform, SAINT-MALO will have a shore power connection and one of the largest battery installations to be installed on a ship to date.
Once planned development work takes place at Portsmouth and St Malo, SAINT-MALO will be totally zero emission while alongside and plugged-in to the power connection. With her extra large battery storage, the ship will also be able to sail on battery power in open water. When her batteries are depleted, SAINT-MALO will be fuelled by LNG, with her engines also recharging her battery packs at the same time. Alternatively the ship can sail using both battery and LNG if required.
SAINT-MALO will be the third LNG fuelled ferry to join the Brittany Ferries fleet, and the first to use hybrid battery technology. She will be a shorter version of the company’s Portsmouth- Spain ferry SALAMANCA and her forthcoming sister SANTOÑA, but will have an additional passenger deck.
The fourth LNG fuelled ferry in the Brittany Ferries fleet will be the as yet unnamed replacement for NORMANDIE on the Portsmouth – Caen (Ouistreham) route. She will also be a battery hybrid vessel and a part-sister to the company’s other LNG-fuelled ferries SALAMANCA and SANTOÑA and Diesel-powered GALICIA. As with SAINT-MALO, NORMANDIE’s replacement is expected to join the fleet in 2025.
