Image: Balearia

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Balearia's second bunker-saving 'eco fast ferry', the Eco Lux, has begun operating between the islands of Ibiza and Formentera.

The new vessel has the same characteristics as the first eco fast ferry, the 28-metre-long Eco Aqua, which was launched four months ago and which transports passengers along the same route.

The fuel-saving vessels feature a wave-piercing bow and photovoltaic solar panels, supplying energy on board. They are also powered by state-of-the-art engines designed to minimize emissions.

Furthermore, the hull is made of polyester reinforced with fiberglass, which does not require the application of paint, and consequently is more ecological.

In a comparison with the Maverick series, which until recently was being operated by Balearia, February and March data collected and analysed by the firm is said to indicate that the Eco Aqua reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 35 percent.

Before the summer starts, Balearia expects the remaining two ships in the series - the Eco Terra and Eco Aire - to commence operations.

LNG

Last year, Balearia ordered two new, dual-fuel, gas-powered ferries to be built at the Cantiere Navale Visentini shipyard in Italy. The vessels are expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

The 2010-built Abel Matutes, meanwhile, has been retrofitted with a 30-cubic-metre LNG storage tank and an auxiliary natural gas engine built by Rolls-Royce.

Balearia's fourth LNG-fuelled ferry, which was ordered in 2016 from Construcciones Navales del Norte SL (LaNaval) shipyard in Sestao, Spain, is scheduled to enter into regular service in 2019.