AT FERRIES PORTSMOUTH TO BILBAO SUPERFERRY
Acciona Trasmediterránea, the largest shipping company in Spain for the transport of passengers and cargo and one of the largest in Europe, will reinforce the company’s international strategy with the new Bilbao to Portsmouth ferry line.
The ship assigned to the new Bilbao to Portsmouth line is the superferry "Fortuny".
One of the most modern and comfortable ships in the fleet, with a capacity for 1,000 passengers, 330 vehicles -cars, caravans, coaches and 1,800 linear metres for rolling stock.
The Fortuny superferry has 10 decks and is one of the company's most modern ships. Completed in June 2001 at the Navantia shipyard in Puerto Real (Cádiz), the Fortuny previously sailed between the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands, providing a broad range of quality services and a faster trip (23 knots) than conventional ferries.
It also has a car-deck for 330 vehicles (cars, caravans, buses) and a large cargo capacity (1,800 linear metres) to ensure sufficient space for ro-ro traffic between Portsmouth and Bilbao.
The Fortuny superferry has state-of-the-art technology. It was recently fitted with advanced propellers that drastically reduce energy consumption and air pollution. This new propeller design was made possible since the company and other Spanish research companies are involved in high-tech projects aimed at having a modern efficient fleet, in line with the development and sustainability criteria which guide ACCIONA's activities
Superferry On-Board Services and Facilities
The Fortuny superferry, one of the company's most modern and comfortable ships, will be used in the route.
This ship has capacity for 1,000 passengers, and the on-board services provide a cruise-like sailing so that passengers can start their Spanish holidays in Spain as soon as they board: bathing in the outdoor pool in summer and in the indoor pool in winter, and leisure areas, restaurants, stores, etc.
Seasonal Departures
In the low season (from 16th May to 29th June and from 22nd September to 31st December), there will be two departures each week.
Departures from the port of Bilbao-Santurce will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 21:00 hours, with the arrival in the port of Portsmouth being programmed for Thursdays and Mondays at 07:00 hours.
Departures from Portsmouth will be on Mondays and Thursdays at 12:00 hours, with arrivals in the port of Bilbao-Santurce on Tuesdays and Fridays at 17:00 hours.
In the high season (from 30th June to 21st September), the timetable will be the same but the frequency of crossings will increase, with departures every three days from each one of the ports.
4-Day Minicruises (with a day to visit northern Spain)
A feature offered only by Acciona Trasmediterránea's new route is the possibility of going on a 4-day minicruise, with a 28-hour stay in Bilbao, so that passengers can visit northern Spain, go sightseeing or shopping, and spend that night on board or in a hotel.
The new route also offers the possibility of going on the traditional 4-day minicruise, with an evening visit to Bilbao.
Accommodation
The superferries have 32 individual cabins or double cabins in Club Class, 171 cabins in Tourist Class with accommodation for up to 4 passengers and 6 cabins for the handicapped; all the cabins have bathrooms. The superferries also have a lounge with large windows giving views of the seas and equipped with television screens.
The Club Class cabins have satellite television sets, a minibar, room-service, exclusive access to the Club Lounge, preferential embarking and disembarking, etc.
The variety of the on board catering offers passengers a selection of menus, tapas and Spanish wines that can be enjoyed in the ferry’s à la carte restaurant, the self-service restaurant, swimming pool bar and cafeteria.
The ship is also equipped with different leisure areas: a heated swimming pool in winter and salt water swimming pool in summer, a massage parlour, sauna and Jacuzzi, shops, children’s areas, a cinema, pub and discotheque, heliport, and so on.
ABOUT ACCIONA TRANSMEDITERRANEA FERRIES
AT Ferries is operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea, part of the Acciona Group.
Acciona Trasmediterránea currently run a ferry service between Spain and North Africa, between the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands.
Now with AT Ferries they will join P&O Ferries in providing a service between Spain and the UK.
AT Ferries will use their new Fortuny Sorolla ship, with a capacity of 1000 passengers and 300 cars to sail their new ferry route connecting the UK with Spain.
ACCIONA Trasmediterránea abre una nueva línea regular de pasaje y carga entre España y el Reino Unido
Acciona Trasmediterránea iniciará, el 16 de mayo, la primera línea regular de pasajeros y carga entre España y el Reino Unido, conectando los puertos de Bilbao y Portsmouth . El superferry ''Fortuny'' que operará la nueva línea es uno de los buques más modernos y confortables de la compañía , con capacidad para 1.000 pasajeros y 330 vehículos, equipado con todos los servicios para hacer de esta travesía un minicrucero. Asimismo, la amplia capacidad de bodega del superferry, para 1.800 metros lineales de mercancías, garantiza la oferta regular de transporte de carga rodada entre Bilbao y Portsmouth, estableciendose de este modo una nueva Autopista del Mar entre España y el Reino Unido. El superferry ''Fortuny'' cuenta con los últimos avances tecnológicos en materia de protección ambiental. Un ejemplo de ello es el avanzado diseño de hélices propulsoras que ha incorporado para reducir el consumo energético y, de este modo, las emisiones a la atmósfera.
ACCIONA is one of the most significant Spanish corporations in the areas of transport, renewable energies, hydraulic resources, urban and environmental services, construction, housing promotion and hospital management, among other activities.
ACCIONA employs more than 30,000 workers and carries out its activities in some twenty countries on the five continents: Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Andorra, China, Australia, the United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Algeria, Morocco and Gabon.
“Pioneers in development and sustainability” is the slogan which forms the backbone of the company’s long term vision and it is supported by numerous national and international activities. Some of examples of ACCIONA’s activities in these areas are: the building of the largest suspension bridge in the world in Hong Kong or the Petrona Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the highest building in the world when they were built; the off-shore wind park at Arklow Bank in Ireland; the “Seafaring Motorway which connects the northwest coasts of Spain and France ( Vigo - Saint Nazaire); eco-efficiency applied to housing and technological applications for water processing, including the reusing of purified water, and mathematical models in biological processes.
ACCIONA Energía has won the European Business Awards for the Environment (Spanish Section) in the category of Product Sustainable for the biodiesel it produces in its plant at Caparroso (Navarre, northern Spain). The award, received today by the President of ACCIONA, José Manuel Entrecanales from His Royal Highness Prince Felipe, is in recognition of the development of a product that, as expressed by the terms of these Prizes, represents "a major contribution to sustainable development".
The Jury's verdict states that the award has been given to ACCIONA Energía because its biodiesel is "a sustainable product which benefits society by creating employment in rural areas, for its knock-on effect and for its contribution to reaching environmental objectives".
