Austal has put pen to paper on a catamaran newbuilding order for Oslo-listed ferry company Fjord Line worth AUD 108m ($86m).
The 109 metre all-aluminium vessel will be the eighth large high-speed commercial ferry to be built by the company.
“This valuable export contract will create outstanding opportunities for our design, production and project management teams here in Australia,” said Austal chief executive David Singleton said.
“This significant new project also offers new export opportunities for our supply chain partners and thereby ultimately contribute to Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding capability,” he added.
Austal’s latest high-speed commercial ferry will transport 1,200 passengers at up to 40 knots and features the company’s largest ever vehicle-carrying capacity; with a beam of 30.5 metres enabling 404 cars to be carried across two decks.
Austal says the new vessel encompasses several key design innovations that enhance operating performance and passenger comfort.
These will include a new optimised hull form that will minimise fuel consumption and wake wash when operating on the Skagerrak Sea between Denmark and Norway.
Fjord Line’s latest addition will join their fleet of four commercial passenger ferries operating in the Scandinavian region following delivery in January 2020.
Acknowledging the growth in Austal’s commercial vessel portfolio and the opportunities for expansion ahead, Singleton remarked: “We have previously indicated that the commercial ferry market is strengthening markedly and we accordingly expect further orders for vessels in the near future.
“We have also indicated that we are likely to expand capacity in both Henderson and in the Philippines.
“We have completed the first phase of that following the opening of our Hope Valley Road facility in Western Australia and will now press ahead with expansion plans to more than double the footprint of our Philippines facility.”
