By
Alice Chambers |
Rauma Marine Construction (RMC) began constructing TT-Line’s Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two new ro-pax ferries for the Australian operator, at its yard in Finland on 28 February.
The new LNG-powered vessels will join TT-Line’s Spirit of Tasmania fleet and operate between Geelong near Melbourne in Australia and Devonport, Tasmania. The vessels will also have a dual-fuel system so that they can operate on alternative fuels if needed.
The vessels will each hold 1,800 passengers and weigh 48,000gt. They will replace TT-Line’s existing ships – Spirit of Tasmania 1 and II – which were built in the 1990s.
RMC marked the start of construction with a traditional steel-cutting ceremony, which included a welcome address from Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO and president of RMC.
“The steel-cutting ceremony is the first concrete milestone, and maybe the most important, of the whole shipbuilding process,” said Heinimaa, who explained the history behind the design of the vessels, referencing how discussions first began in spring 2018.
“Although the actual construction of the first ferry started today, RMC and Spirit of Tasmania already have a long history,” said Heinimaa. “The pandemic, among other things, disrupted our plans, but the agreement for the vessels was re-signed in 2021. We are particularly glad that our joint journey, which has lasted more than a decade, finally reached this important milestone. Therefore, I would like to thank Spirit of Tasmania for trusting our local expertise in shipbuilding.”
The two new vessels will expand the capacity of the ferry operator by 40 per cent once completed.
“This is a significant moment for Tasmania and for the Tasmanian economy,” said Bernard Dwyer, CEO and managing director of Spirit of Tasmania. “When completed, the vessel’s arrival in late 2023 will mark the start of a new era for passenger travel and freight transport across Bass Strait. While the new ships will be a similar design to the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels, they will feature substantially larger capacity for passengers, passenger vehicles and freight.”
The ceremony was completed with the signing of steel plates to commemorate the occasion.
Spirit of Tasmania IV will be completed in late 2023 and its sister ship will be finished in late 2024.