Tangier-Tarifa: First Electric Ferry Morocco-Spain by 2027
Baleària has unveiled its first fully electric ferry for the green Tangier-Tarifa line, with service set to begin in summer 2027 and an investment exceeding 200 million euros.
Unveiled on Sunday evening, Spanish operator Baleària's first fully electric fast ferry is part of a project for the first electric maritime line between the port of Tanger Ville and the port of Tarifa, Spain. Commercial crossings are set to begin in summer 2027, as part of an investment exceeding 200 million euros.
The new ferry's specifications
The new ferry is an 87-metre catamaran with an aluminium hull for lightness and strength, powered by a 14 MWh battery system. Baleària plans to operate two such ferries on the same line; the second is still under construction and will join the fleet after summer 2027.
An investment exceeding 200 million euros
The investment, which exceeds 200 million euros, covers the construction of the two electric ferries as well as the electrification of the Tanger Ville and Tarifa ports with the infrastructure needed for battery charging, in a project the company describes as the first of its kind across the Strait of Gibraltar.
"First electric maritime link between Europe and Africa"
Adolfo Utor, president of Baleària, described the ferry's launch as a step toward creating the "first 100% electric maritime link between Europe and Africa," stating that the new line will produce no direct CO2 emissions while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, with significantly reduced noise compared to conventional ferries. The company says the project brings forward its net-zero target, originally set for 2050, by several decades.
Baleària first announced this green corridor project between Tangier and Tarifa back in 2025, before unveiling, on Sunday evening, the first completed ferry. The Spanish company also operates other maritime lines between Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, as well as routes connecting it to Morocco.
Why this line matters to Moroccans
This line links Morocco directly to Spain via one of the shortest crossing points of the Strait of Gibraltar, which matters to thousands of Moroccans living in Europe who cross the strait every year, especially during the annual summer Operation Marhaba, which sees heavy traffic each year as members of the Moroccan community pass through the northern ports, as well as the tourism sector between northern Morocco and southern Spain, which Morocco counts on for its foreign-currency earnings.