Rolls-Royce to Deliver Spain’s First Dedicated Gas Marine Engine

Rolls-Royce has signed a collaboration agreement with Spanish energy company Gas Natural Fenosa to develop and install a dedicated Bergen engine aboard a ferry operated by Baleària. The contract gives Rolls-Royce its first reference for a pure-gas engine installation on a European-flagged ferry operating outside of Norwegian waters. The ROPAX ferry, delivered in 2010 from the Hijos de J Barreras shipyard in Vigo, Spain, will use an LNG-fuelled Rolls-Royce Bergen C26:33 L6 AG auxiliary engine, reducing emissions during port stays. Baleària is a leading shipping company in Spain with a fleet of 20 vessels operating between the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bahamas. Baleària and Rolls-Royce aim to carry out pre-installation work at the beginning of 2015, prior to the vessel’s scheduled dry docking later in the year. The new engine will be fully integrated into the electricity plant on the vessel, enabling operation with any of the on-board auxiliaries. Testing and implementation work is expected to take place towards the end of next year.