San Fernando Shipyard Gets a Ro-Pax Ferry Order

IZAR San Fernando Shipyard landed an order for building a ro-pax ferry to be operated by Strandfaraskip Landsins, the state-owned shipowning company of the Faroe Islands. For the Spanish yard which is a part of the IZAR conglomerate, the contract is a step in the conventional RoRo and passenger ferry market, as it was rather known until now just for its involvement in the steel and aluminum-built fast ferry design and construction. The San Fernando yard offer was chosen among bids from a score of different shipbuilders. The order will bring the yard half a million hour workload in a 30 month building time, apart from the propulsion plant, to be manufactured by the IZAR Propulsion and Energy Division. The vessel is designed to operate in high wind and rough sea conditions, as well as in not easily accessible ports such as those of Faroe Islands. All the on board equipment and systems are projected to be operational under as low as –20 ºC surrounding temperatures. Besides 976 passenger, payload capacity is planned to include not only cars and trucks and MAFI trailers but even hazardous cargo in two garage decks – one movable of a car-deck type. Access for passengers and vehicles will be arranged by means of two aft ramps, plus an additional ramp on the starboard side. The vessel will be fitted with two electrically power-driven bow thrusters, an anti-heeling system able to counteract the forces of two trailers simultaneously running in the same side and a pair of retractable stabilizers reducing the vessel rolling by 90%. A propulsion plant, with four diesel MAN / B&W 7L 32/40 engines, coupled in pairs to double input reduction gears driving shaftlines with variable pitch propellers, will be also manufactured by IZAR Propulsion and Energy Division. On board power will be supplied by two tail generators, four generating sets driven by diesel engines and an emergency generator. The vessel will be supplied with a fully automated, 24-hour “unattended engine room”, every operational parameter being monitored and controlled from the bridge control board. The minister of Commerce and Industry of the Faroe Islands Mr Bjarni Djurhom, the ministry’s permanent secretary Arne Poulsen, and the Strandfaraskip Landsinsn general director Reidar Nónfjall signed the contract.