The eighth hybrid unit built in Spain is expected in Trapani in the next few days, ready for use on the Sicilian routes.

The new ship renamed Laura Sangiovanni is ready to set sail from Spain and dock in Trapani in the next few days. It was delivered to Liberty Lines, the Morace family's shipping company, and was recently built by the Armon shipyard in Vigo.

The fast ferry flagged the Italian flag and will enter service on Sicilian routes. It is the eighth unit in a series of nine fast hybrid ships, scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026. They are capable of cruising in all-electric mode at a speed of 10 knots for approximately 30 minutes near the coast, and then recharging their batteries while sailing in the open sea, where, thanks to the power provided by their internal combustion engines, they reach speeds exceeding 30 knots. The ship is also equipped for dockside battery charging using cold ironing technology.

Laura Sangiovanni

Laura Sangiovanni, 39.5 meters long and carrying 251 passengers, is part of the world's first high-speed hybrid HSC vessel series, the result of a collaboration launched in 2022 between Liberty Lines' technical departments, the Astilleros Armon shipyard, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Power Systems, RINA, and Australian designer INCAT CROWTHER.

 Improved commercial performance 

Liberty Lines emphasizes that "the deployment of these new ships on Liberty Lines' routes, starting in June 2024 with the entry into service of the Hsc Vittorio Morace, has resulted in increased service regularity thanks to the excellent seaworthiness of the hulls, widespread passenger satisfaction with their comfort and modern design compared to equivalent ships, improved commercial performance due to the increased capacity ensuring greater transport capacity, and finally, a significant reduction in pollutants: the exhaust gas treatment system alone reduces 20,000 kg of nitrogen oxides (NOx) per ship annually."

Safety equipment testing 

After a brief stopover, necessary for safety equipment testing and obtaining the final certifications, the ship will begin its operational commitment between the Sicilian islands under the Italian flag like all its sister ships.

About : Liberty Lines  

Liberty Lines was established in 1993 under the name of Ustica Lines by the Captain Vittorio Morace who, following important professional experiences in the main Italian shipowning groups, decided to found Ustica Lines with the aim of combining what the sea has separate, the islands.

Thus was born, with a single hydrofoil, the fast shipping company Ustica Lines which, choosing the best collaborators, equipping itself with avant-garde ships, seizing promising market opportunities and being able to count on the constant support of its customers who have shown that they appreciate its services, has been able to develop and renew itself, reaching the world record in the fast transport of passengers on the sea.

In 2016, following the acquisition of the shipping company Siremar – Compagnia delle Isole and Traghetti delle Isole, Ustica Lines changed its name to Liberty Lines and assumed the current operational structure which sees it manage a fleet of over 30 fast vessels (between Hydrofoils, Catamarans and Monohulls) with which it is able to guarantee a fast and reliable service to over 3 million passengers who choose to travel every year between Italy, Croatia, Slovenia as well as Sicily and smaller islands.
Liberty Lines today is a modernly organized company, the sixteenth shipping company in Italy by turnover, the first in the world in the fast maritime transport of passengers, the only one in the world to have a shipyard that carries out the work exclusively on its own means.

The Company, which has maintained its headquarters in Trapani, relies on the cooperation of more than 600 employees and is the trustee of public transport agreements that have been promoted by the Sicilian Region, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility to ensure passenger transport even in economically disadvantaged market conditions.

Related : One ferry sold and one purchased by Corsica Ferries

Source : Shipping Italy + Others
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