France

Reporting on the latest developments from the French maritime sector

France

Brittany Ferries’ newbuild hybrids to be supplied fuel by Titan LNG

French ferry operator Brittany Ferries has signed a long-term agreement with Titan LNG for the supply of LNG and Liquified Bio Methane (LBM) to two new LNG-fuelled hybrid Ro-Pax vessels that Brittany Ferries will operate between England and France from 2025.

Brittany Ferries’ two 194.7m, 1,400passenger LNG-hybrid ships will join the fleet in 2024 and 2025, replacing two of the longest-serving vessels, Bretagne (1989) and Normandie (1992). They will follow two new LNGfuelled ships, Salamanca, which entered service in March this year, and Santoña which will arrive on fleet in 2023.

The new ferries will serve established routes connecting Portsmouth with St Malo, and Portsmouth with Ouistreham. Titan aims to supply fuel to both vessels during usual cargo operations alongside (SIMOPS) to avoid delays to sailing schedules.

The hybrid vessels will have a large battery hybrid power system of 10 MWh for propulsion and manoeuvring in port and an 8 MW electric shore connection that will allow charging in port, when infrastructure allows. As well as significantly cutting emissions, hybrid propulsion promises less noise and a smoother ride for passengers.

“Ships like Salamanca, Santoña and our forthcoming hybrid ships are cleaner today and greener tomorrow,” added Frederic Pouget, Operations and Ports Director Brittany Ferries.

A greener tomorrow

“Thanks to LNG, they promise an immediate and significant reduction in air quality emissions and a small reduction in GHG emissions. They are greener tomorrow because they are capable of running on fuels like LBM first and later future fuels like Hydrogen Derived Liquid Methane. These have the potential to slash well-to-wake GHG emissions. Our new vessels will therefore automatically become greener when these fuels arrive and there is great potential for expanding the development of the LBM value chain with Titan LNG.”

As a leading independent supplier of LNG, Titan LNG is the frontrunner in economic and clean (bio)LNG supply to the marine and industrial sector in Europe.

Titan LNG believes LNG is the best transport fuel and essential in the energy transition during the coming decades. In creating the infrastructure for further decarbonisation via (bio)LNG and synthetic LNG, carbon-neutral solutions can be achieved.

Making LNG easily accessible to all

With headquarters in the AmsterdamRotterdam-Antwerp area, Titan LNG and its partners believe LNG should be easily accessible to all. Through building a global supply network, Titan LNG offers complete natural gas solutions: LNG bunkering, LNG transport and supply, LNG storage tank and vaporizer rental, including maintenance and service.

LNG distinguishes itself from oil-based fuels, as a cleaner, economical and safe fuel. It is abundantly available and has been used for over 50 years. With LNG becoming the fuel of choice for travel to Mars, Titan LNG believes the fuel will also enable clean transport on earth.

Régine Portocarero, Titan LNG’s Business Development Manager, said: “We look forward to our journey forward with Brittany Ferries and these innovative ships. We believe strong partnerships are essential for the maritime industry to successfully decarbonise. Furthermore, thanks to the unique farmer-shareholder ownership structure that underpins Brittany Ferries, we see great potential in available stocks for local LBM production.”

This partnership marks the significant expansion of Titan’s operations in the English Channel which will enhance the availability of LNG, LBM, and in the longer run hydrogen-derived LNG in the region. Titan will bring additional barge capacity to meet this demand. There are plans for a Krios series vessel to serve Brittany Ferries and to regularly transit between relevant ports. n