Brittany Ferries has begun its spring-summer season launching its route between the Port of Bilbao (Spain) and Portsmouth, which connects both areas twice a week. Normally, during the winter season some routes of the French shipping company are temporarily suspended to get some of their ships ready.
For example, the journey to England, which began operating in 2011, will now be operated by the ship ‘Galicia’, an E-FLEXER ship inaugurated in December 2020, and one of the company’s most efficient thanks to the design of its hull, long and thin, which provides a high level of hydrodynamic performance.
Likewise, this ship integrates a layer of silicone that covers the hull and reduces friction, softening its passage through the water while reducing fuel consumption. In fact, fuel consumption is what differentiates the ‘Galicia’ from its sister ship ‘Salamanca’, which opened last spring in the port of Bilbao, being the shipping company’s first LNG ship, followed by three further.
It is worth mentioning that these routes also have the first Spanish crew members, who have passed a selection process that took place last February. After carrying out the corresponding bureaucratic procedures, professionals can sail on a French-flagged ship.
Brittany Ferries closed 2022 with a turnover of 444.7 million in 2022 and has around 2,500 employees worldwide. It currently manages 12 vessels that connect France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain, in other ports. It also links Bilbao, Santander, Portsmouth, Poole, Plymouth, Cork, Rosslare, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Saint-Malo and Roscoff.
On the other hand, Haizea Wind Group has started the expansion works of its facilities in the AZ-2 quay of the Port of Bilbao. The project, whose investment is more than 150 million euros, will result in a surface extension of more than 200,000 m² in the Biscayan port enclave, compared to the 48,800 m² currently available.