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19th to 21st of May 2026
19th, 20th & 21st
MAY 2026

- CONFIRMED DATES -

ASTILLERO BARRERAS HAS LAUNCHED TWO SHIPS IN ONE WEEK

The shipyard has orders in its books for 17 vessels worth some 1,800 million euros.
In the three days from 3 to 5 June, Astillero Barreras launched two very different ships: a seismic vessel to be used for petrol exploration and a ferry. The seismic vessel, the WG Columbus, is the first ship with an inverted bow to be built in Spain. The inverted bow (which is rather like a parrot’s beak) is based on an innovation by the Norwegian company Ulstein Design for the Western Geco company, part of the international Schlumberger Group, which is the world leader in services to oilfields.
With a hull length of 89 metres and a beam of 19 metres, the seismic ship is equipped for a crew of 69 and comes complete with a heliport. The WG Columbus is the first of four ships commissioned by Schlumberger to be completed. The other three vessels will be supplied to other companies in the group.
The ferry, Martín i Soler, is also one of a series of four ferries commissioned, in this case, by the Spanish company, Balearia. This ferry will cover a route between the mainland and the Balearic Islands.It belongs to the latest generation of ferries that can be loaded and unloaded at both the bow and the stern. With a hull length and beam of 165.30 and 25.60 metres, respectively, it has a speed of 23 knots. At full capacity it can transport 1,200 passengers, 328 cars and 120 trailers.
The other three ferries, commissioned by the same company, are being constructed simultaneously and will be delivered between the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.
By early next year, Astillero Barreras will have launched a total of six vessels:the ferries for Balearia, a further two seismic vessels and a ferry for the Canary Islands company, Naviera Armas, which, in recent years, has been the most important customer for the shipyard.