Isha Sesay
THE Balearic Islands will have the world’s first sustainable ‘fast ferry’ which will connect Palma de Mallorca to Denia with a stopover in Ibiza from this weekend.
Priced at a startling €90 million, Balearia’s Eleanor Roosevelt is the first ferry of its type in the world, operating with innovative natural gas engines.
Taking just under three years to construct, the ferry is also longer than any other fast ferry in the world and has a capacity for 1,200 passengers and 450 cars.
Balearia’s president, Adolfo Utor, explained that ‘sustainability and technology are the differentiating aspects’ of the vessel.
Scientific analysis has shown that the ferry will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 85% which is equivalent to the consumption of 8,900 cars each year or some 27,000 trees.
In terms of technology, passengers can board using a QR code that they receive via WhatsApp, indicating their assigned seat number.
During the trip, they will have free access to the Internet along with the use of a digital entertainment platform to watch films or listen to music.
Pet owners have also been thought of, with a channel to watch their furry friends via a web cam installed in the kennels.
The ferry pays tribute to the renowned writer Eleanor Roosevelt, a gender equality activist and advocate for civil rights, acting as the first president of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
“This is Balearia’s sixth ship that pays tribute to pioneering women and is a tribute to their commitment to their goals – the equality and empowerment of women,” said Utor.
READ MORE:
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- High-speed ferry slashes Costa Blanca–Formentera journey to under two hours
