Brest (AFP)
Brittany Ferries and the American start-up Regent will collaborate in the development between France and the United Kingdom of a new 100% electric mode of transport called Seaglider, halfway between the hydrofoil and the plane, has t - we learned Wednesday from the shipping company.
"Brittany Ferries has signed a partnership agreement to participate in the development and development of Seagliders with a capacity of 50 to 150 passengers sailing between the UK and France by 2028," said in a statement the company.
"The Seaglider principle combines the maneuverability of ferries with the air efficiency of hovercraft and the speed of planes," the statement said.
These devices, equipped with wings and propellers, could reach 290 kilometers per hour.
Thus, the crossing between Cherbourg and Portsmouth, in the south of England, could be done in just 40 minutes.
Seagliders will move a few meters from the surface of the water to take advantage of the ground effect, this aerodynamic concept known to pilots which increases lift by compressing a mass of air under the wings.
"The Seaglider rises on its foils, and in the open sea it takes off on its air cushion while flying at low altitude, which allows comfortable navigation above the waves", notes the shipping company, which specifies that the The energy required is supplied by electric batteries recharged at the quayside.
"For Brittany Ferries, the energy transition is a priority," assures the company, which recently invested in two new ships powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), whose deliveries are scheduled for 2022 and 2023.
The start-up Regent, based in Boston (northeast of the United States), is working on several models of Seagliders, but all operating on the same principle.
Brittany Ferries has 12 vessels operating between France, UK, Spain and Ireland via 14 shipping routes.
Very affected by the health crisis, but also by Brexit, it transported some 750,000 passengers in 2020 against 2.5 million in 2019. Its turnover fell by 57% to 202.4 million euros in 2020. Based in Roscoff, Brittany, it employs 2,474 people, including 1,600 seafarers.
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