9 8 CalMac, Brittany Ferries and Buquebús will all have welcomed new passenger ferries to their fleets by 2025 enters service between Argentina and Uruguay. The vessel will accommodate 2,100 passengers and 220 cars, making it the largest aluminium fast ferry in the world. It will also feature the biggest duty-free shop to ever be installed onboard a high-speed ship, with 3,000 square metres of commercial space. Several shipyards have also launched or delivered vessels to operators in 2022. In the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review, we reported that Hyundai Mipo Dockyard had laid the keel for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s new diesel-electric ro-pax Manxman. The ship was floated out of dry dock on 14 June, exactly on schedule despite the challenges posed by the global Covid-19 pandemic. “The contract with the shipyard was signed two years ago and specified the launch date as 14 June 2022, and we’re immensely proud to have achieved that milestone,” says Brian Thomson, managing director of the Steam Packet Company. “This has been accomplished despite facing closed borders, travel restrictions and global supply chain issues. It’s a remarkable achievement for everyone working on the project.” Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine has completed the handover of Dragsvik, the second of three identical battery-powered ro-pax ferries for Norwegian operator Norled. The zero-emission vessel will be capable of operating at a service speed of 10 knots, and its lithium-ion batteries will be charged using green hydroelectric power. The ferry can also run on a combined battery-diesel hybrid backup mode when required. The 82.4-metre-long vessel is designed to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and crew, with the capacity to carry 300 people as well as 80 cars, or a combination of up to 10 cars and 10 trailer trucks. Dragsvik will eventually join Hella, the first of the three sister ships built by Sembcorp Marine, which successfully began service in May 2022 and operates Norled’s short-sea connections between Hella, Vangsnes and Dragsvik. Both ferries will augment Norled’s sustainable fleet of innovative zero-emission vessels contributing to maritime decarbonisation. CFR FERRY ORDER BOOK
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=