By
Alex Smith |
Spanish ferry operator Baleària is leading a public-private project to create the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco, which will be operated by two electric, zero-emission fast ferries.
The two sister ships will sail between Tangier in Morocco and Tarifa in Spain from 2027. Baleària has been operating the route with two conventional fast ferries since May 2025 after winning the tender of the Bay of Algeciras Port Authority to manage it for the next 15 years.
The two catamarans will be built at Spanish shipyard Armon and are scheduled to enter service from 2027. Each catamaran will have an electrical power of 16 megawatts, provided by four battery-powered electric thrusters with a capacity of 11,500 kilowatt hours, which will allow them to make the 18-mile journey using only electric propulsion and without generating emissions.
The batteries of the fast ferries will be fully recharged in 40 minutes during the one-hour stopover scheduled in each city. Storage systems with batteries of eight megawatt hours gross each will be installed in both ports, which will be added to the electricity supply onshore – five megawatts in Tarifa and eight megawatts in Tangier. The loading of the ships will be carried out by two autonomous robotic arms installed in each port, which will be connected to the vessels through the onshore power system. The total storage capacity will reach 39 megawatt hour gross, equivalent to the battery capacity of approximately 765 electric cars.
The ships themselves will feature a similar design to that of Baleària's two natural gas fast ferries sailing in the Balearic Islands, though adapted to operate in the ports of Tarifa and Tangier. They will have a beam of 25 metres, capacity for 804 passengers and 225 cehicles, and will be able to reach a maximum speed of 26 knots. Each will be equipped with a T-Foil system to reduce the vertical movement of the boat, as well as two high-capacity ramps at the stern designed to speed up operations and manoeuvres in port.
Companies involved in the ships’ construction include Incat Crowther, Cotenaval, Endesa and Amendis. The two vessels are the latest step in Baleària's efforts to achieve zero emissions by 2050.
The project was announced in the Port of Tangier
The announcement of the project was made in the Port of Tangier in front of an audience of 200 people, including Abdessamad Kayouh, the minister of transport and logistics of Morocco; Enrique Ojeda, the ambassador of Spain to Morocco; Gerado Landaluce, the president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algecuras; and Mohamed Ouanaya, president of the Port of Tangier.
“Faithful to our values of innovation and sustainability, we take on the challenge of transforming the Tarifa-Tangier line into an international benchmark for modern and environmentally friendly mobility,” said Adolfo Utor, president of Baleària. “It will allow us to complete the entire journey for the first time using exclusively electrical energy and, therefore, without generating emissions.”