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Ferry News

04 Mar 2024

First of Six New Sun Ferry Vessels Operational

Source: Incat Crowther

The new passenger fast ferry, Xin Ming Xhu VIII, is now servicing commuters on Hong Kong’s waterways after digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther delivered the first of six new passenger fast ferries to mass transit operator Sun Ferry.Xin Ming Xhu VIII, built by Guangzhou-based shipbuilder AFAI Southern Shipyard, is now in operation on the busy Central Ferry Pier to Mui Wo and Cheung Chau commuter routes in Hong Kong.Capable of transporting up to 500 passengers, the new low-draft vessel features Incat Crowther's latest generation hull form.

25 Jan 2024

Incat Crowther Design for Florida Ferry

Image © Incat Crowther

Incat Crowther has been commissioned by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation to design a new 300-passenger, high-speed catamaran for US operator Yankee Freedom.The new vessel, Yankee Freedom IV, will replace the 250-passenger Yankee Freedom III, which was also designed by Incat Crowther. Like its predecessor, Yankee Freedom IV will provide service on the 70-mile route between Key West in Florida and the Dry Tortugas National Park.The commissioning of Yankee Freedom IV reinforces Incat Crowther’s position as one of the most trusted passenger ferry designers in North America.

24 Jan 2024

Aurora Botnia - RoPax Ferry + Greentech Proving Ground

Photo: Wasaline

Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its “green” designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as “a masterpiece of cooperation” and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.

27 Nov 2023

Scandlines Launches Zero Emissions Ferry

Source: Scandlines

Scandlines’ new zero direct emissions freight ferry has been launched at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey.The ferry will be name Futura and deployed on the Fehmarn Belt between Germany and Denmark (Puttgarden-Rødby) in 2024. It will have a 10MWh energy storage system, the world's largest lithium-ion battery bank to date, which has been supplied by Swiss manufacturer, Leclanché.The 8.6 meter high ferry charger tower, developed by the German company, StemmannTechnik, is being prepared for installation at ferry berth 3 in Denmark’s Rødbyhavn.

20 Nov 2023

Passenger Ferry Delivered to Guadeloupe Operator

Source: Incat Crowther

A 36-meter custom built passenger ferry has been delivered to Guadeloupe-based operator CTM Deher by Incat Crowther.The new 316-seat passenger ferry has been designed to safely and efficiently service CTM Deher’s passenger and tourism routes in the French West Indies and is expected to begin operating in late 2023.The new ferry, named Miss Outre-Mer, was designed using Incat Crowther's digital shipbuilding process. This meant CTM Deher and Incat Crowther worked closely together to deliver the complete digital ship design before physical construction began at PT Kim Seah Shipyard in Indonesia.

17 Sep 2023

Two Ro-Pax Catamarans Under Construction in Indonesia for Abu Dhabi Ports

Source: Incat Crowther

The Abu Dhabi Ports Group has commissioned Penguin Shipyard International and Incat Crowther to design and deliver two new 56-metre ro-pax catamaran passenger and vehicle ferries.The new vessels will be built by Penguin International in Indonesia and can transport up to 194 passengers and 25 vehicles.Replacing two older vessels in the Abu Dhabi Ports Group fleet, the new vessels will service Delma Island from Jebel Dhanna on the UAE mainland – a 42-kilometer route. Powered by four MTU engines and Kamewa 71 S-4 waterjets


23 Aug 2023

Battery-Powered Cruise Ferry Launched in China

Source: China Classification Society

A battery-powered cruise ferry Moli has been launched in Fujian province of China.The vessel, classed by China Classification Society, was launched at Fujian Funing Shipbuilding.The 27.66-meter (91-foot), aluminum vessel 102 passengers and has a battery capacity of 840 kWh, providing sufficient power for 70 kilometers (43 miles) of sailing.This ship will conduct sightseeing tours on the two rivers and four shorelines of Fuzhou (Cangxia WharfJiangxin Park WharfYantai Mountain Wharf).The Moli is a demonstration project of the “Electric Fujian” series of policies in Fujian Province.

24 Aug 2023

Incat Tasmania to Deliver World’s Largest Battery Electric Ship

Source: Incat Tasmania

Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania is setting a record for the largest, lightweight battery electric ship in the world with a new 130-meter (427-foot) ro-pax ferry under construction for South American customer, Buquebús.The aluminum ferry will be the first fully electric vessel in South America when delivered in 2025, operating between Argentina and Uruguay. It will have a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew and 225 cars and will feature a duty free shop of over 2,000 square meters (21


21 Aug 2023

Speaker Program fo 47th Annual Interferry Announced

From left: Mike Corrigan, Interferry, Anders Rundberg – Carus, Finland, Peter StĂ„hlberg – Wasaline, Finland, John Bertell – Carus, Finland, Alex Peirce – Brock Solutions, Canada, Travis Raines – Brock Solutions, Canada. Image courtesy Interferry.

The 47th Annual Interferry Conference takes place in Hobart, Tasmania on November 4-8, 2023. With focus on elevating the customer experience and sustainability, expert presentations will feature the latest trends in tourism, service automation and onboard entertainment, as well as ship construction and conversion trends, optimised operations, and safety measures.How global tourism trends have changed and will develop post COVID-19 are part of the keynote of Robert Dougan from Tourism Australia, who kicks off the conference on Day 1.

21 Aug 2023

Interferry to Co-host European Shipping Summit

Johan Roos Director of Regulatory Affairs Interferry. Image courtesy Interferry

Interferry – representing more than 270 companies and some 1,200 individual members from over 40 countries – is co-hosting a workshop at next month’s European Shipping Summit in Brussels to stress the importance of shifting more goods transport from road to short sea services, notably through better use of European Union funding to enhance the sector’s competitiveness.The workshop – ‘How to increase the share of maritime transport in Europe’s trade’  â€“ takes place at 09:30 on September 19 in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and is open to all interested professionals.

25 Jul 2023

EU Funds Fuel Cell Ferry Project

Source: TECO 2030

TECO 2030 and 14 consortium partners are to receive Horizon Europe funding to build and demonstrate a passenger ferry powered by TECO 2030 PEM fuel cells.The grant amount reserved for TECO 2030 is EUR 2.3 million ($2.5 million), and the consortium members come from seven European countries and cover the whole innovation value chain, including technology developers, academic institutions, maritime engineering, class society, digital transformation and a shipyard.The project is a Horizon Innovation Action that aims to develop


18 Jul 2023

Divers Inspect Grounded Ro-Ro

Photo courtesy of CGS Romblon

The 93 passengers and 36 crew on a ro-ro ran aground approximately 100 meters from shore at Barangay Nasunugan in Banton, the Philippines, at midnight on July 16 have now been rescued and refloating efforts have begun.Montenegro Shipping’s Maria Helena was sailing from Lucena Port in Lucena City, Quezon Province, bound for San Agustin Port in Tablas, Romblon, when the incident occurred.The vessel has been listing 10 degrees to portside, and the Captain is reported to have attributed the list to to the explosion of one tire of one of the rolling cargoes onboard


27 Jun 2023

Wärtsilä to Convert Stena Line Ferries to Methanol Fuel

Source: WÀrtsilÀ

Wärtsilä has been contracted by Swedish ferry operator Stena Line to convert some of its vessels to operate with methanol fuel. The conversions will include the fuel supply system and engine modifications, as well as integrating the new installations with the ships’ existing systems. The full scope of the supply package will include fuel tank instrumentation and valves, transfer pumps, low pressure pump skid, fuel valve trains, methanol fuel pump units and the automation of the system, engine conversions, and automation upgrade for the engine control room.

19 Jun 2023

Fire Out on Esperanza Star

Source: Philippine Coast Guard Facebook page

The Philippine Coast Guard has declared “fire out” on the ferry Esperanza Star after attending then scene when a distress call was made at 0400 on June 18. The vessel was sailing in the waters of Panglao, Bohol, with 78 passengers and 59 crew onboard when the fire broke out at the aft of the vessel. Those onboard are reported to be safe and without injury after being taken to Bohol.The vessel is operated by Kho Shipping Lines, and the company issued a statement thanking the personnel of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bohol


14 Jun 2023

RWO’s Blackwater Treatment System Chosen for New Zealand Ferry

Credit: KiwiRail

RWO has been selected by KiwiRail to supply its next-generation advanced water treatment system - the CleanSewage Membrane Reactor (CS-MBR) – to New Zealand’s Inter-Island Resilient Connection Project (iReX).Two custom-built Interislander ROPAX ferries have been ordered to service the connection between Wellington and Picton. Environmental protection is a key priority for the project, and both vessels, which are being built at Korean shipyard Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), will


28 Apr 2023

Aluminum Marine Delivers Catamarn to Explore Group

Image courtesy Incat Crowther

Auckland-based tourism operator Explore Group expanded its fleet of passenger and tourism vessels late last year with the delivery of Tuhi Rapa, an Incat Crowther 29 design built by Australian shipyard Aluminium Marine. The vessel is designed to transport up to 300 passengers and has been plying the waters of Auckland Harbour and the Bay of Islands since its maiden voyage in late 2022.Designed to be used as both a passenger ferry as well as a wildlife sightseeing cruise vessel


26 Apr 2023

EU Aligns Ferry Safety Legislation With IMO

© btwcapture / Adobe Stock

The European Council has adopted a new law to improve stability requirements for ro-ro ferries.The proposal to revise the existing directive originated from maritime accidents, such as the sinking of the Estonia in 1994. Ut It now ensures, as far as possible, consistency with the applicable international standards for the stability of damaged passenger ships recently updated in SOLAS - the IMO has introduced a probability of survival after a collision model for assessing the survivability of damaged ro-ro passenger ships


24 Apr 2023

Self-Driving Ferry Launched in Stockholm

Source: Torghatten AS

The world's first self-driving commercial passenger ferry entirely powered by electricity has been launched in Sweden.The Norwegian shipping company Torghatten AS will operate the passenger ferry between the Stockholm islands of Kungsholmen and Södermalm. The aim is to create more sustainable urban mobility.The idea of autonomous urban ferries started at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. Based on the researchers' results, the company Zeabuz was founded


18 Apr 2023

MOL's Second LNG-Fueled Ferry Enters Service

Sunflower Murasaki, source MOL

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced that the second of Japan's first two LNG-fueled ferries, the Sunflower Murasaki, has entered service.The vessel is owned by MOL and operated by its group company Ferry Sunflower. The vessel is a sister ship to the Sunflower Kurenai, which began operation in January, and will sail the Osaka-Beppu route between Sunflower Ferry Terminal (Osaka) and Beppu International Tourist Port (Oita) as a replacement for the existing vessel Sunflower Cobalt.The 17


02 Feb 2023

Silja Europe Propulsion Control Makeover Aims to Save 6% on Fuel

Silja Europe. Image courtesy Tallink

Qtagg recently secured an order on a total upgrade of Silja Europa’s propulsion control system, a makeover designed to decrease the ship’s fuel consumption by 6% and CO2 emissions by 2096 tons yearly, according to the manufacturer. The overhaul includes engine speed governors, fuel rack actuators, pitch control and voyage optimization with EcoPilot.At 59,912 gt, Silja Europa is Tallink’s largest cruise vessel. Until the summer of 2022 it operated on the Baltic Sea, between Helsinki (Finland) – Tallinn (Estonia).

31 Jan 2023

Take a Hyke: Swarm Tech for Ferries

A rendering of the Hyke ferry, Arendal, Norway. Courtesy Hyke Ferry

Apps, big data, tech, software and cutting-edge innovation were hallmarks at last year’s Sea Tech conference in Brest, France. During one session, for example, on electronic charting, the speakers made reference to “data as fuel.” For vessel operations, data was called a resource just like diesel or LNG or lithium batteries. The reference was usually to big data, i.e., almost boundless information flowing like a gusher from a firehose, the new force driving applications to set routing


23 Jan 2023

RoRo ferry MV Tennor Ocean sets off for Test Voyage

The “MV Tennor Ocean” on the Flensburg Fjord (photo credit: FSG/Finn Karstens).

MV Tennor Ocean, newbuilding 782, from Germany's shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft recently set off on test voyage on the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The 210-m RoRo ferry is on the move to Dock 3 at Lloyd Werft. During its week-long stay there, the shipbuilders of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) will carry out the remaining work on the ship’s hull to optimize the performance data. Afterwards, the “MV Tennor Ocean” will set out on a multi-day test voyage on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

20 Dec 2022

Portuguese Electric Car Ferry to sport Zinus Charging Solution

The new electric car/pax ferry operating between Forte da Barra and São Jacinto in Portugal will use ZINUS’ fully autonomous charging connection. Image courtesy Zinus/Navaltagus

The Portuguese shipyard Navaltagus, a part of the industrial ETE group, is building the first electrical car and passenger ferry in Portugal, and the yard awarded Zinus the contract to supply the autonomous connection enabling the ferry to charge its batteries while berthed.With a capacity of 260 passengers and 19 cars, the ferry is scheduled to enter service in the summer of 2023 – replacing the existing diesel-powered ferry operating between Forte da Barra in Ilhavo and São Jacinto in the municipality of Aveiro.

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