Update: A spokeswoman for Brittany Ferries has confirmed the reported cancellation of a newbuilding and also the cancellation of plans to convert six existing vessels for LNG propulsion and the use of scrubbers instead.
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Brittany Ferries, the French company that operates in the Western Channel, is reported to have abandoned plans to build a 61,000 gross ton LNG fuelled cruise ferry and to plans to retrofit LNG propulsion on six of its ships, BBC reports on its website.
It has not been possible for Cruise Business Online to obtain a comment from the company at this moment.
The retrofit programme would have cost £320 million. Instead, Brittany Ferries will install scrubbers on board the ships to allow it to meet the new emission control rules that will take effect from the beginning of next year.
In January, Brittany Ferries signed an initial contract with STX France to build a LNG driven 61,000 gross ton cruise ferry that would have been 210 metres in length and carried 2,600 passengers plus 650 cars and 40 lorries. It would have been due foe delivery in early 2016.
