Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contrac[ds_preview]t with Société de Transport Lagunaire (STL) to build sixteen shallow-draft passenger ferries for the Ivory Coast.
Known as the economic capital of the Ivory Coast, Abidjan is located around the 100-km long Ébrié Lagoon on the west coast of Africa and therefore water-based transport holds a vital position in everyday life in the area. Furthermore, due to rapid population growth and the deterioration of existing ferry services, traffic congestion is a major problem in the city.
This multiple vessel contract is part of the Ivory Coast’s government’s increased focus on urban infrastructure improvement. The presidential plan entails provision of cost effective and reliable public transport options for the growing urban population. Abidjan’s population has increased five-fold in the last 20 years.
Draught requirements
Damen has designed the 18 m vessels according to the standards of the International Association of Classification Societies. Each powered by two Volvo D5 engines, the ferries will be able to transport up to 130 passengers at speeds of 10 knots. One key design parameter concerned the vessels’ draught specifications. The vessels will have an air draught of 4 m and a 1 m water draught.
Construction of all the ferries will take place at Damen Shipyards Ko?le in Poland. The yard will adhere to a tightly-planned production schedule to meet STL’s delivery requirements. The first four ferries will be delivered in January 2017 – the rest will be delivered four at a time, every 8 weeks, in three batches thereafter.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide.
