Norwegian shipbuilder Fosen Yard and a subsidiary of local shipowner the Siem Group have completed construction on an LNG-fuelled Ro-Pax ferry that had originally been ordered by a French vessel operator.
Named after a port town in Normandy, Honfleur was originally being built by a German shipyard for operation between the ports of Caen and Portsmouth in the UK via the English Channel. Fosen Yard took over construction in the middle of 2020. The vessel was completed earlier this year and is now under the ownership of the Siem Group and registered under the flag of Cyprus.
Honfleur has a length of 187.4 metres, a beam of 31 metres, a draught of 6.6 metres, a gross tonnage of 42,000, and 11 decks. The ferry can transport up to 1,680 passengers in 261 cabins while the freight capacity is 2,600 lane metres or the equivalent of 130 trailers or 550 cars and 64 lorries.
The LNG-electric propulsion system consists of four main engines with a total rated output of 30,000 kW, two electric motors, and two fixed-pitch propellers. This configuration will enable the ferry to reach speeds of up to 22 knots.
The ferry is also fitted with deck cranes. The cranes will be used primarily for the loading and positioning of ISO 40-foot containers that will supply LNG fuel to the four main engines. Empty containers will be replaced with full ones each time the ferry makes a port call.
The vessel's design took the method of "swapping" fuel tanks into account. This is because the original owners had anticipated that there will be insufficient LNG storage and bunkering facilities at the ports that the vessel will serve by the time it finally enters service.
The passenger cabin options include four-person staterooms, six-person family cabins, luxury cabins, and staterooms for people with limited mobility. All cabins were also designed to be pet-friendly and are fitted with televisions and wi-fi connectivity.
The other onboard facilities include two cinemas, two restaurants, a cafe, a bar, boutique shops, passenger lounges, children's play areas, and accommodation spaces for the 130-strong crew. Access between the various decks is via two centre stairways and two lifts.
Work on all interior spaces on Honfleur was completed by Aros Marine, which also installed the public toilets and the fixed furniture such as sofas, tables, counters, bars, and shelves.
| Honfleur | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | Ro-Pax ferry |
| Flag: | Cyprus |
| Owner: | Siem Group, Norway |
| Builder: | Fosen Yard, Norway |
| Length overall: | 187.4 metres |
| Beam: | 31 metres |
| Draught: | 6.6 metres |
| Gross tonnage: | 42,000 |
| Capacity: | 2,600 lane metres |
| Main engines: | 4 |
| Propulsion: | 2 x fixed-pitch propellers |
| Maximum speed: | 22 knots |
| Other equipment installed: | 2 x lifts |
| Interior designer: | Aros Marine |
| Type of fuel: | LNG |
| Accommodation: | Cabins; cinemas; restaurants; bar; café; boutique shops; lounges; children's play areas |
| Crew: | 130 |
| Passengers: | 1,680 |
