Molslinjen has ordered a high-speed catamaran that is LNG compatible – and will be the largest ferry by volume ever built by Austal, which won the contract
The €84M (US$93M) contract is for designing and constructing a 115-m high-speed catamaran for the Danish operator which will be fitted with a new generation of medium-speed engines that are LNG compatible, with the potential to upgrade to LNG fuel in the future.
It is a follow-up order to the 109-m high-speed catamaran Express 4, delivered to Molslinjen in January 2019.
Construction will commence in Q3 2020 and delivery of the vessel will be in Q1 2022.
Austal chief executive David Singleton said the new catamaran from Molslinjen “To be designed in Henderson over a 12-month period and then built at our state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility in Balamban in the Philippines, will feature Austal’s signature raked-bow and optimised hull form, and an LNG-capable medium-speed power plant that offers a powerful, yet economical and environmentally friendly solution.”
Featuring capacity for 1,610 passengers, space for 450 cars (or 617 lane m for trucks and 257 cars) over two vehicle decks and an operating service speed close to 37 knots, the new ship will add valuable capacity on Molslinjen’s Bornholm route between Ystad and Rønne, from early 2022.
On board, passengers will enjoy leather-appointed reclining seats with USB ports, wifi, a full bistro, bars, children’s play area and audio-visual screens.
With this latest design, Austal’s Auto Express vehicle-passenger ferry portfolio has expanded to include over 30 catamaran and trimaran hull designs, ranging from 49 m to 127 m, delivered to 30 operators since 1996.
Customisable to suit any operational requirement or route, the Auto Express platform also features Austal’s proprietary Motion Control and Marinelink-Smart systems which, the shipbuilder says, delivers a smoother journey for passengers and crew and a more efficient, better performing, ‘smart’ ship for operators.
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