News

Gibdock shipyard has completed a major conversion project so that the Baleària ferry Napoles can operate using LNG as fuel. The three-month project – possibly the most complex and demanding ever undertaken by the yard – consolidates Gibdock’s position as one of the leading refit facilities for environmentally-driven work in the Mediterranean.

The 186m long Napoles, which has capacity for 1,600 passengers and 1,430 lane metres of cargo, is the first of five ships that Baleària plans to convert to dual fuel operations to comply with IMO sulphur cap regulations. Gibdock has already secured a contract to convert a second vessel, Sicilia, which is due to arrive at the yard later this year.

Richard Beards, Managing Director, Gibdock, says “Baleària is a longstanding client for scheduled repair and maintenance work, so it made perfect sense to carry out the conversion at Gibdock. We are delighted to have been entrusted with this landmark project, which was a first for us and Baleària; the experience will ensure that the Sicilia conversion goes even more smoothly.”

Napoles arrived at Gibdock on 15th November 2018, with the yard already having pre-fabricated two LNG bunker fuel reception stations for later installation. The majority of subsequent work took place alongside the yard’s main repair wharf, with some elements of the LNG conversion undertaken in Gibdock’s Panamax size Dock No.1. The project required extensive modifications to Deck 1 to accommodate 200 tonne, 27m x 6m diameter LNG fuel tank from Wärtsilä. Gibdock also cropped Decks 5 through to 2 to create a route through which to lower the 400m³ capacity tank.