PIRIOU Signs for Construction of Ro/Pax for Pays de la Loire Region

PIRIOU has just officially signed with the French Pays de la Loire Region for the order of a ro-ro passenger ship dedicated to serve the island of Yeu (West France).
It will be built on a PIRIOU design in collaboration with the Nantes-based naval architecture design office Stirling Design International. This robust and stylish design will offer a great capacity to transport freight and passengers to ensure the maritime service between the island of Yeu and Fromentine.

Piriou will work with several companies based in the Pays de la Loire to complete this project for a delivery in the third quarter of the year 2022.

Following the building of l’Estuaire, Fromveur II and Breizh Nevez I, Piriou is once again successful and confirms its dynamism and competitiveness in this segment of ro-ro passenger ships.

Vincent Faujour, PIRIOU Group C.E.O. declares: ‘In obtaining this new contract, we are pleased to take up this new challenge and to have obtained the confidence of a new Region - the French West Region of the Pays de la Loire- to complete a vessel that will answer very demanding operation requirements and an optimum comfort for passengers.’

The ro-ro garage offers a great clear under the barrow (12 cars and 4 motorbikes) and the vessel will be able to carry up to 340 pallets and 2 lorries of 19t. The containers storage areas were studied and optimised for easy and fast loading and unloading operations.

The vessel enables transporting 391 passengers: 252 seats in inside lounge (including 5 PMR seats easily reachable from the lift) and 139 seats outside. The passengers’ area was designed to ensure smooth and safe movement between loading/unloading areas and the lounges.

As required by the Pays de Loire Region and the Company Yeu-Continent, the new vessel will be able to carry out summer rotations in a tight schedule while transporting a maximum amount of freight (40% more than former INSULA OYA II), hence a very accurate study of the hull and propulsion. Besides, the vessel is equipped with a set of two hydraulic thrusters and two flap rudders. This combination gives the vessel the necessary manoeuvrability to pass the Fromentine channel in all weathers.

In order to combine style and robustness and performance, the ship’s lines were carefully studied with the expertise of the naval architect’s cabinet Stirling Design International. The result is a modern vessel with shapes borrowed from old ships as the marked vertical front pediment, incorporating the high wheelhouse.

To ensure passengers a pleasant crossing, the number of windows has been maximised and the bright lounges are organised into several living areas. The colours and materials proposed will offer a refined and warm ensemble that echoes the codes of the old ro-ro passenger ships.

In order to provide comfortable transit in rough seas, the vessel is equipped with a pair of stabilizers.

Equipped with IMO III engines, the vessel meets the latest environmental standards in force. Alongside the vessel will be connected to the terrestrial power grid to limit noise and environmental pollution. The power available will be sufficient to carry out loading and unloading operations without a generator in service, thus reducing the carbon footprint.

Main characteristics
Length: 55.0 m
Breadth: 13.0 m
Depth at main deck: 3.85 m
Max. draught: 2.35 m
Crew: 8
Max. speed: 15 kn
Hull/superstructure: steel/aluminium
Propulsion: 2 x 1440 kW @ 1800r/min
Bow thrusters 2
Passengers capacity: 391 pax
Max. load capacity: 260 t
Cranes for alongside loading/unloading: 2x13t @ 9.5m
Foredeck capacity: 8 x 10’ containers
Aft deck capacity: 12 x 10’ containers on 2 levels
2 lifting platform-ramps for loading and vehicles transshipment
Closed garage for 12 light vehicles and 4 motorbikes and/or pallets