On Monday, May 6, the launching and christening ceremony of Fred. Olsen Express‘s new catamaran took place at the Rodman Polyships shipyard in Meira, Pontevedra. This Rodman 80 model ship, named Buganvilla Express, was successfully launched into the water and christened by Beatriz Blasco Herrera, marking the completion of its final assembly and construction phase.
The event was attended by Fred. Olsen S.A.’s CEO, Andrés Marín; Fred. Olsen Express Fleet Director, Juan Ignacio Liaño; the technical department head, Iván Fernández; the onboard services manager of the shipping company, Erik Lehmann and the security manager, Mario Torres. From the shipyard, their president, Manuel Rodríguez; the vice president and CEO, Oscar Rodríguez; the director of international expansion, Silvia Rodríguez; the technical director, Raimundo Tapia; the commercial director, Gonzalo Torres; the production director, Ricardo Rodríguez and the marketing director, María Herrero were present.
Also in attendance were senior officials from the General Directorate of Merchant Marine and the Maritime Captaincies of Vigo and La Coruña, including the Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Merchant Marine, José Cebrián; the maritime captain of Vigo, Manuel Ángel García and the maritime captain of La Coruña, Gonzalo Guillén.
Bougainvillea Express Launch / LP / DLP
According to the CEO of Fred. Olsen S.A., Andrés Marín, “this event culminates the construction process carried out by Rodman in collaboration with the technical team of our shipping company. Once the final testing phase is complete, Buganvilla Express will start operating between the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in June.”
From Rodman, their president, Manuel Rodríguez, thanked the shipping company for their trust and expressed satisfaction because the launching ceremony was successful. “The construction process is meeting the initial expectations set by Fred. Olsen Express and also our quality standards as a shipyard. After the launch, we will begin the final phase of adjustments, quality control, and sea trials, where we hope the vessel will meet the estimated performance, surpassing the initial expectations.”
Technical Specifications of Buganvilla Express
The new Rodman 80, with a length of 26 meters and a beam of 9.80 meters, will have a capacity for 250 passengers and will house two 1,470 HP engines. It will also feature indoor and outdoor decks, highly demanded by tourists, as well as onboard bar/café service and entertainment.
About Fred. Olsen Express
Fred. Olsen Express has been connecting the Canary Islands by sea for 50 years. The shipping company started its journey in 1974 with the first Gomera Ferry between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos, in Tenerife. Since then, it has maintained its commitment to the development of maritime transport in the archipelago, offering a service with state-of-the-art ships based on comfort, speed, and flexibility.
Buganvilla Express Sponsorship / LP / DLP
True to its mission of creating wealth within the Canarian community, the shipping company has a workforce of nearly 1,000 people. Currently, it operates through five maritime routes. Since 2018, it also connects the archipelago with the Iberian Peninsula by linking Gran Canaria and Tenerife with Huelva.
Fred. Olsen Express is a leader in the interisland market. It makes an average of 22,000 trips per year and annually transports over 3.5 million people, more than 63,000 pets, around one million cars, and approximately 1,300,000 linear meters of cargo, equivalent to about 100,000 freight vehicles. Since its inception, over 85 million passengers have relied on the company.
In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Canary Islands Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, through its ‘In Harmony with the Sea’ programme, Fred. Olsen Express applies innovation in all its processes to minimize its environmental footprint.
