Tasmania’s SeaRoad has contracted German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to construct a LNG-fuelled ro-ro ferry.
The ship is being purposely designed for Bass Strait, which lies between Tasmania and Australia.
SeaRoad claims that the new vessel will embrace clean air fuel technology, support energy efficiency, increase capacity by 50 percent allowing for faster transit times and permit longer time in ports.
Managing director Michael Easy hopes that this deal will not only provide cleaner shipping solutions but also provide greater economic security for local Tasmanian businesses, as well as providing a boost to the economy.
Chairman, Chas Kelly, added that the deal with FSG secures its “commitment to Bass Strait and keeping Tasmania connected.”
FSG Managing Director, Peter Sierk, stated “our shipyard is to deliver a ship to Australia for the first time ever.”
“We are very proud that SeaRoad has chosen us and that our ideas have prevailed over those of international competitors.”
The ferry is planned to be 108-metres long and is scheduled for delivery between late 2016 and early 2017.