UK offshore engineering and design consultancy Houlder will act as technical advisor for construction of a hybrid battery ferry ordered by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IoMSPC) in South Korea.
IoMSPC last week ordered a replacement ferry for one of its older vessels at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. The ship, estimated to cost about £70m ($90m), is due for delivery in the spring of 2023.
Work on the purpose-built ropax vessel will start next year with the aim of increasing the operator’s capacity and passenger comfort with the new ship capable of tolerating the Irish Sea’s sometimes harsh weather conditions.
Two years ago, IoMSPC was taken over by the Isle of Man government for £124m ($167m).
The takeover ended an impasse caused by the government rejecting the company's offer in 2017 of a new services agreement in which the operator had pledged to invest £170m, including orders for two state-of-the-art ships for £65m.
The newly ordered ship will be a bit larger than the conventional ferry, the 12,700-gt Ben-my-Chree (built 1998), that it will replace. However, final specifications have not yet been set.
The newbuilding is also intended to be more environmentally efficient and manoeuvrable in poor conditions.
Houlder will guide the shipyard during the build of the new vessel, ensuring it meets the design specification, as well as advising IoMSPC on technical and regulatory aspects.
Fleet operations manager for IoMSPC, Jim Royston said the company has had a relationship with Houlder for many years. Their last major project together was the 2009 conversion of the 5,740-gt Manannan (built 1998) from a US Navy transport ship to a passenger catamaran.
“This latest partnership ensures we have technical experts providing us with pragmatic solutions to challenges being faced by the vessel’s operational profile,” Royston said.
Houlder has previously supported ferry operators with newbuilding designs, upgrades and conversions. Newbuildings include vessels for the Gosport Ferry Company and Wightlink, and it has undertaken conversion and upgrade works for P&O Ferries, Condor Ferries as well.
