The government of the Pays de la Loire region in western France has placed an order for a new Ro-Pax ferry to be built by local shipyard Piriou.
Designed by Stirling Design International based in Nantes, the steel-aluminium ferry will have a length of 55 metres, a beam of 13 metres, a maximum draught of 2.35 metres, and capacity for 391 passengers, 340 cargo pallets, and up to 18 vehicles including 12 cars, four motorcycles, and two 19-tonne lorries. Two 1,440kW IMO Tier III-compliant engines will deliver a maximum speed of 15 knots.
The interior will include a lounge with seating for 252 people and a lift.
The vessel will also be equipped with shore charging equipment, two 13-tonne cranes for alongside loading and unloading, two flap rudders, two hydraulic thrusters, and two stabilisers.
Delivery of the ferry is scheduled for the third quarter of 2022. It will be operated by ferry company Compagnie Yeu-Continent on a regular service between the western French mainland and Yeu Island in the Bay of Biscay.
