##This sustainable and ‘smart’ vessel is scheduled to be incorporated during the month of April.

It stands out for its technological innovations linked to comfort and services on board, as well as for its spacious and modern spaces.

The world’s first fast ferry with natural gas engines, Baleària’s ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’, will begin operating the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route during the month of April. With the incorporation of this innovative catamaran, Baleària positions sustainability and digitalisation, as well as a comfortable and fast service, in the connections between the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community. The shipping company has invested 90 million euros in this fast ferry with capacity for 1,200 passengers and 450 cars.

“We are committed to the Balearic Islands as a destination with our new flagship, a fast ferry that is a world pioneer in terms of sustainability and innovation,” explained the shipping company’s president, Adolfo Utor. “20 years ago we already revolutionised the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma route by incorporating high speed and now we are going one step further with a vessel that, as well as being fast, is eco-efficient and smart”.

In the design of the ship, comfort and safety have been prioritised. On the one hand, the interiors have been adapted to the current context, taking into account the distance between seats and wider corridors and spaces. On the other hand, the new catamaran has high-tech innovations that considerably reduce movement, vibrations and noise, to the benefit of passenger comfort during the crossing.

Technology is also a differentiating element of the services of this green and smart ship, which include a free digital entertainment platform (series, films, games and press), video surveillance of pets via webcams or Internet and WhatsApp coverage for text messages throughout the crossing. The digitalisation of accesses will make it easier to maintain safety distances: passengers will receive their boarding card via WhatsApp, indicating their assigned seat.

Access to the passenger area is via an escalator or lift and all the seats on the ship are reclining, both unusual features on high-speed ships. The Eleanor Roosevelt has several cafeterias, as well as a food truck on the outside deck and a children’s area. The catamaran has three VIP lounges with panoramic smart glass windows that adapt to the lighting conditions.

The vessel is in the final phase of construction and equipment testing at the Armon shipyard in Gijón. In a few weeks, the world’s first fast ferry with gas engines will sail in the Balearic Islands and will be the seventh in the Baleària fleet to use this fuel, which reduces polluting emissions. It is worth remembering that in 2020 the shipping company stopped emitting 37,000 tonnes of CO2 thanks to its gas-powered fleet. It is calculated that annually the Eleanor Roosevelt will reduce C02 emissions equivalent to eliminating more than 8,900 conventional cars or planting almost 27,000 trees. Actual fuel consumption and engine efficiency will be monitored by measuring equipment and sensors installed on board, as part of a project co-financed by the European Commission’s CEF funds

About Baleària

Baleària is the leading shipping company in passenger and cargo transport on connections with the Balearic Islands, and also links Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands with the mainland. Internationally, it offers services to Morocco, Algeria and the Caribbean (between the United States and the Bahamas).

In 2020, Baleària carried more than 2,150,000 passengers and 5,743,000 linear metres of cargo on the 29 ships in its fleet. The company, which employs more than 1,500 people, had a turnover of 342 million euros.

Report by 24/7 Valencia team