Singapore’s Majestic Ferry has ordered seven high-speed passenger ferries at Indonesia’s PT Cahaya shipyard in Batam.
The catamarans, which will be able to carry 317 passengers, have been designed by Incat Crowther and will be built over the next two years.
Propulsion for each of the 39 metre vessels will be provided by a pair of Rolls-Royce supplied MTU 16V 2000 M72 units.
“A key criterion for our fleet is the fuel-efficiency of our engines. They should also have long maintenance intervals and be powerful and reliable,” said Majestic Ferry managing director MaxTan.
“The determining factor for this follow-on order is the positive experience the operator has had with MTU engines and with our service,” said a spokesperson for MTU Asia.
“After our initial contact with Majestic in 2016, we worked with them to produce a specification package with the optimum features for large fast ferries.
“Our 16V 2000 M72, with its 1,440 kW power output, offered the ideal starting point,” the spokesman added.
The new orders come just a couple of years after Majestic Ferry ordered three similar vessels at the same Indonesian shipbuilder.
The first vessel, the Majestic Dream, went into service last summer, followed by the Majestic Pride last autumn. The third vessel, the Majestic Faith, is set to be delivered in April 2018.
Majestic Ferry says its approach is to acquire larger ferries in order to be able to accommodate growing passenger numbers.
Traveling at around 34.5 knots, the ferries will transport passengers between Singapore and the nearby Indonesian island of Batam.
