Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 12th vessel in its 15-strong E-Flexer class, a series distinguished by the inclusion of multi-fuel, battery-hybrid propulsion. Constructed by Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling (Weihai), this latest delivery, christened Guillaume de Normandie, has been placed on a 10-year charter with French operator Brittany Ferries, and will enter service on the Portsmouth-Caen route in April this year. The newcomer replaces the veteran ferry Normandie, which has served the route since 1992.
Featuring a length of 194.7m, a breadth of 27.8m and a draught of 6.5m, Guillaume de Normandie has the capacity to carry 1,300 passengers, and boasts 2,410 lane metres of cargo space, 176 lane metres of which are allocated to passengers’ cars. The ferry has been arranged with 222 passenger cabins spread over four decks.
Guillaume de Normandie is the fifth of five E-Flexers ordered by and chartered to Brittany Ferries, the first of which, Galicia, was delivered in September 2020. The full run of 15 E-Flexers commenced in 2019, with the handover of a newbuild for Stena Line’s network in the Irish Sea, and will conclude in August 2027, with the planned delivery of a battery-hybrid, methanol-ready ferry for Attica Group. Other clients for the E-Flexer series include Corsica Linea, DFDS and Marine Atlantic, with each E-Flexer being tailored to the operator’s specific needs.
Stena RoRo says: “[Guillaume de Normandie] will be powered by multi-fuel engines as well as the market’s largest battery-hybrid package of 12MWh. With these batteries, the ship will be able to operate in and out of port solely on battery power and even manoeuvre when docking and undocking without using the ship’s diesel engines.” The vessel has a speed of 23knots, or 17.5knots when operating solely on battery power.
The ship can operate in and out of port solely on battery power
Guillaume de Normandie also comes equipped with a shore connection featuring an 8MW output, to enable high-speed battery charging as well as “a completely fossil-free stay when in port”, Stena RoRo says. The ship’s engines can take MGO, LNG, biodiesel or biogas as fuel. Stena RoRo adds: “The system is scalable…in the future, Guillaume de Normandie can operate entirely on batteries or with a combination of the different fuels.”
Stena RoRo MD Per Westling comments: “Within the framework of the E-Flexer concept, there has been continuous technical development, and we can offer our customers flexible, future-proof propulsion systems that by a wide margin meet both today’s and future environmental requirements. The large battery-hybrid system we installed on Guillaume de Normandie means that the ship can operate optimally, in step with regulatory developments or in accordance with the operator’s own policies.”
