Australian shipbuilder Incat strengthens its footprint in the European market with another contract for a fast ferry. Spanish Naviera Armas ordered a 109 metre high-speed catamaran.
The Tasmania-based shipbuilding company has been awarded a contract for the design and constructio[ds_preview]n of a large new vehicle-passenger ferry. It is the second vessel in Incat’s new generation 109 metre high speed wave piercing catamaran range and will operate in Spanish waters when delivered in early 2019. The contract price is 74 mill. € and construction of the vessel will commence in June 2017.
It is not the first contract from Europe for the shipbuilder. Recently, a newbuilding for Denmark was delivered. »This latest refinement of Incat’s well proven wave piercing hullform, a design favoured by high speed craft operators around the globe, was first introduced in Mols Linjen’s 109 metre wave piercing catamaran »Express 3«, delivered in April«, Incat said in a statement.
Incat is also building a state-of-the-art 110 metre fast ferry for Mediterranean company Virtu Ferries for service between Malta and Sicily. That new ship (Incat Hull 089) is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2018.
Seeking to present a new concept of fast ferry service in Spain, Naviera Armas is actively investing in high speed craft. This new vessel will be the third Incat craft to join the Naviera Armas fleet, following »Volcán de Tirajana« purchased in 2015 and »Volcán de Teno« acquired last year.
However, the first two Incat vessels in the Naviera Armas fleet were purchased after completing service elsewhere in Southern Europe but as Armas CEO Antonio Armas explains, the significant global demand for fast ferries is translating to orders for newbuild tonnage. »It is very hard to find quality second hand high speed ferries in the market, nevertheless given the performance of the two Incat-built vessels already purchased we are confident the wait for the newbuild 109 metre will be well worth it.«
The new Incat 109 metre will provide a service speed of 35 knots (65km/h) and accommodate 1200 persons including 155 persons in business class. According to the statement, it will also be the first high speed ferry in southern Europe to feature a dual vehicle deck allowing cars and freight to be transported separately.
Main Particulars
Classification: DnV +1A1 HSLC R1 Car Ferry “B” EO
Gross Tonnage: 10,800 (approx.)
Length overall: 109.4 m
Beam: 30.5 m
Draft: 4.10 m
Deadweight: 1,000 tonnes
Persons: 1,200 (including crew)
Passengers: 1184 passenger seats in 3 lounges, including 155 business seats
Lane Metres: 595 TLM @4.6m clear height + 215 cars @ 2.1m clear height
Cars: 390 cars in car-only mode
Engines: 4 x MAN Diesel & Turbo 28/33D STC 20V, rated at 9100kW each
Waterjets: 4 x Wartsila Lips LJX 1500SR
Gearboxes: 4 x ZF NR2H 60000
Service Speed: 35 knots with 600 tonnes deadweight
