EMEA News
Irish Ferries Opts for Scrubbers for ECA Compliance on Newbuild
Irish Ferries' Tuesday announced that its principal, Irish Continental Group plc (Irish Continental), has signed an agreement with Germany's Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesselschaft & Co.KG (FSG) for the construction of a €144 million ($161.14 million) new cruise ferry that will feature scrubber technology for Emissions Control Area (ECA) compliance.
The company also notes that the vessel will be designed to deliver "optimal fuel consumption," but did not give specific details.
"This investment underpins the confidence the Group has in both the freight and passenger tourism markets between Ireland, Britain and France," Eamonn Rothwell, CEO of Irish Continental.
Irish Ferries says the 50,000 tonne cruise ferry will have a capacity for 1,885 passengers and crew, as well as a car deck with a 300 car capacity, 435 cabins, and capacity for 165 freight vehicles.
Slated for delivery in May 2018, the new vessel is said to be expected to be employed on routes currently served by the chartered ship MV Epsilon.
In August, Ship & Bunker reported that Paddy Walsh, UK Ports manager for Irish Ferries, referring to a "loophole" that omits the Irish Sea from Emission Control Area (ECA) rules, said: "in 2020, this competitive edge will largely be lost when the sulfur content of fuel for ships operating on the Irish Sea is further reduced.
