MV P&O Liberté
Ex Guangzhou 19121008
P & O Ferries
Steel 4 x Azipod “Double-Ended” motor vessel built in 2023 by Guangzhou Shipyard International, Guangzhou, P.R. China (Yard No 19121008) as a RoPax Ferry.
Technical Data
- Length: 230.5 m (overall) m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 30.8 m
- Depth: m
- Draught: m
- Tonnage: 47394 gross/ net/11500t deadweight
- Engines: 4 x Wärtsilä 16v31 Marine Diesel Engines fitted with ABB turbochargers and Wärtsilä AI technology
- Propulsion: 4 x 7.5MW ABB DO1600 Azipods
- Power: kW/HP
- Speed: 20.8 knots
- Capacity: 1500 passengers/2800 lane metres for commercial traffic/800 lane metres for cars/3600 lane metres total
- Call Sign: 5BYL5
- MMSI Number: 210384000
- IMO Number: 9895173
- Official Number:
- Port of Registry: Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾
- Sister-Ship: P & O Pioneer (19121007)
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Current AIS Location
History
“Second of a pair of double-ender ferries ordered, for P & O Ferries, at a joint cost of €260m. Designed by OSK, Denmark & Sinodane and built by GSI, Guangzhou China”.
Large British Ferry Order Placed
26th September 2019
British shipping company P&O Ferries has ordered two large RoRo ferries for 1,500 passengers from Chinese Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) for sailings between Dover and Calais. The order is worth a total of about 260 million euros. P&O Ferries, a subsidiary of Dubai’s DP World, has options for two more vessels.
The first two ferries will be delivered in 2023 and the optioned vessels in 2024. The ferries will be among the largest ever to sail between Dover and Calais, and will be of the double-ended type. Using the double-ender concept and the diesel-electric propulsion plant means that fuel consumption will be reduced by about one tonne per channel transit. It is understood that the ships will not be scrubber-equipped and the otherwise empty spaces below the main vehicle deck will be filled with large battery packs. Another reduction in fuel consumption and carbon footprint will come from a heat recovery system, so the total fuel consumption is expected to be reduced by 40%.
The ships are capable of additional changes to become carbon neutral provided extra battery capacity will be installed and plug-in electricity loading facilities are available in both Dover and Calais. To achieve the typical fast port turnarounds that apply for Dover-Calais ferries, the separate freight and car intake of the Spirit Class has been retained. The main deck and upper freight deck have a combined capacity of some 2,800 freight lane metres, while about 200 cars can be parked on the separate upper vehicle deck which will have sufficient deck height to stow vans.
The overall length has been increased to 230m from the 213m for the previous Spirit Class ferries. A power management system will use innovative software to turn off the lighting and ventilation in empty areas, further optimising the utilization of engines, batteries and energy recovered from waste heat. The ship’s concept design has been provided by OSK ShipTech which has close ties with builders GSI through the SinoDane joint venture.
Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd, Longxue Island, Nansha District, Guangzhou, China
Source: New Ships
P & O Ferries
September 2019: Contract signed.
P & O Ferries
July 27th 2022: News that she had been “Floated Out”.
P & O Ferries
September 4th 2023: Sailed from Nansha for sea trials.
P & O Ferries
September 13th 2023: Returned to Nansha.
November 29th 2023: Delivered.
P & O Ferries
January 15th 2024: Left Nansha for Colombo, Sri Lnka and it is anticipated she will “sail via Cape of Good Hope and arrive at Dover on 1st March. She is due to enter service on the Dover – Calais route in mid-March.”.
January 23rd 2024: Arrived Colombo, Sri Lanka.
January 27th 2024: Left Colombo.
February 6th 2024: Arrived Durban.
February 7th 2-024: Left Durban for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
February 22nd 2024: Arrived Las Palmas.
Puentedemando.com
February 23rd 2024: Left Las Palmas for Dover (eta: 01/03/2024)
March 1st 2024 (07.32 hrs): Arrived in Dover for trials.
© Dover Strait Shipping/Fotoflite (Dover, 01/03/2024)
© A2B via Sea(Dover, 01/03/2024)
© Dave Standen @ Dover Strait Shipping/Fotoflite (Dover, 01/03/2024)
© Bouky Lou (Dover, 01/03/2024)
March 4th 2024: Moved from Eastern Arm, Dover to ED8.
© Bouky Lou (Dover, 04/03/2024)
March 5th 2024: Left Dover for trials.
© Dover Strait Shipping/Fotoflite (Folkestone, 05/03/2024)
March 11th 2024: Inaugural arrival in “foggy” Calais.
© Stéphane Vancutsem (Calais, 11/03/2024)
March 16th 2024: Inaugural commercial sailing (Freight Only) Dover – Calais.
🆕 © Stéphane Vancutsem (Calais, 16/03/2024)
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: A2B via Sea , Bouky Lou, Dave Standen, Stéphane Vancutsem and Dover Strait Shipping/Fotoflite for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Should have been called Push Me and Pull You!
When is she set off on journey to Dover ??