TRIESTE – The hybrid vessel Ambrosiana, built by Trieste-based shipyard Cartubi, is ready to enter service on Lake Como.
The official delivery of Ambrosiana — a 350-passenger hybrid ferry designed for operations on Lake Como — took place on July 21, 2025, followed by the inauguration ceremony on September 29 in the presence of Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini.
This marks the third vessel built by Cartubi as part of the lake fleet renewal plan, a complex public passenger transport program aimed at more sustainable and efficient mobility. A fourth sister unit, now under completion, will follow between late 2025 and early 2026.
Ambrosiana is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system that significantly reduces emissions and was constructed in compliance with the latest accessibility standards for passengers with reduced mobility. The vessel is also equipped with bike racks and charging points for e-bikes.
One of the project’s most significant challenges, Cartubi explained, lay in the modular block construction: each section of the vessel was designed and built to be transported by road, allowing for final assembly at the destination shipyard. This approach required precise engineering, logistical coordination and specialized expertise — all applied in third-party facilities, often with limited space and proximity to tourist areas and residential buildings.
Cartubi’s role extended beyond construction to include the training of the crew, ensuring continuity from design to operational deployment.