TT-Line Company has formalized orders for two LNG-powered ro-pax ferries at Germany’s Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft.
The ships are costing EUR 219m ($262.4m) each and are due to enter service on the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania during 2021.
The two new ships will measure 212 metres in length and will be able to carry 1,800 passengers and 600 passenger vehicles.
“We are very pleased that we were selected by the TT-Line supervisory board in competition against a number of international shipyards to design and build the new Spirits of Tasmania,” said FSG chief executive Rudiger Fuchs.
“The two ships are specially developed for use in the rough seas of Bass Strait and feature the latest technology for eco-efficiency.”
TT-Line chairman Mike Grainger said: “In preparing a business case for the Tasmanian Government, TT-Line exhaustively assessed vessel types and fleet configurations to determine the most suitable vessels to operate daily crossings on Bass Strait.
“The board is pleased with the final terms of the contract as negotiated between the parties since signing a letter of intent last calendar year.”
Grainger added that the new purpose-built vessels will also be able to carry increased freight volumes when compared to the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels.
FSG has built more than 750 vessels to date and is currently building cruise ferries for Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries as well as ro-ro vessels for the Siem Group.
The company has also recently designed and built ro-pax ferries for Canadian BC Ferries and Scottish Caledonian MacBrayne.
In early December 2017 TT-Line said it was intent on ordering new purpose-built ships to replace the existing tonnage.
Built in 1998, the ships in the current fleet, Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, underwent a major refurbishment in 2015 and will continue operating until the new vessels are delivered.
