Polo Logistica FS: Athena, Bluferries' new green ship, has arrived in Messina

Messina, 29 April 2025 - The new ship of the Bluferries fleet, a company of the FS Group's logistics hub, active in maritime transport in the Strait of Messina, has arrived in the port of Messina.

 

‘Athena, this is the new name of the latest addition to the Bluferries fleet, marks a significant step forward in the field of sustainable maritime technology,’ said Giuseppe Sciumè, CEO of Bluferries. ’It is a hybrid Ro-Ro passenger ship, featuring a state-of-the-art hybrid propulsion system, which testifies to our commitment to environmental protection.’

 

‘The arrival of Athena at Bluferries represents a concrete milestone in terms of innovation, sustainability and efficiency,’ said Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics. ’We have invested significant resources to guarantee an offer that is more attentive to current market needs and, above all, to environmental protection. We continue to add new pieces to our ambitious Strategic Plan, a key player in the evolution of our business and the future of freight transport and logistics’.

 

With a name evoking the Greek goddess of wisdom, the arts, strategic warfare and patroness of Athens, Athena was launched last July in the Greek capital and is ready to enter service between Messina and Villa San Giovanni.

 

The hybrid propulsion will reduce CO2 emissions by 56% compared to the oldest ships in the fleet, and by 13% compared to the non-hybrid sister ships Trinacria and Sikania, thanks to ‘zero emission’ technology during port approach, loading and unloading operations, using only electric motors, whose batteries are charged while sailing.

 

In addition, solar panels on board provide 25kW of energy, powering all the ship's accommodation services. Athena has further qualitative environmental parameters, the main engines, for example, are able to run on a blend of diesel with biodiesel up to 20%, and there is a freshwater system on board, reducing water consumption by more than 70%.

 

The new ship, the result of a 26 million euro investment, partly financed with funds from the National Plan of Complementary Investments to the PNRR, is destined to operate in the ferry of commercial vehicles, cars, caravans, campers and motorbikes in the Strait of Messina. In the Greek port of Piraeus, the acceptance tests required by Rina regulations have been carried out, the ship has been towed to Messina, and once the registrations in the maritime registers have been completed, Athena will enter service in the summer.

 

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

105 metres long and 18 metres wide, the Athena has one deck dedicated to vehicle transit and one for passengers. It can carry up to 22 trucks or 125 motor vehicles and 393 people including passengers and crew members,  and provides a transport service for passengers with reduced mobility ensuring high quality standards with less vibrations and more comfort.

 

THE BLUFERRIES FLEET

Athena joins the bidirectional vessels, Enotria, Fata Morgana, Trinacria and Sikania, designed to transport heavy and light wheeled cargoes, and also to transport railway wagons (with the vessel Fata Morgana).

Consistent with its mission of respecting environmental sustainability, and in line with the FS Group's objectives, the company has launched a fleet modernisation plan that envisages the replacement of the two oldest ships (one of which, the Riace, is already being decommissioned) with new hybrid-propulsion (diesel-electric) ships, for greater energy efficiency and lower environmental impact.