8 7 According to Incat Tasmania, the future in high-speed ferry transport lies in larger, more efficient ships that operate in the 20 to 30 knot displacement speed range. Weight-saving technology and lightweight construction methods developed at Incat Tasmania over three decades can be used to produce ships with transport efficiency well above what is on the water today. The resulting higher efficiency means less energy demand and a simpler transition to alternative fuels and zeroemission ships. While electric ships are the future, a lightweight ship will always be more efficient to operate, regardless of the power and propulsion source used. A high-speed future Design house Incat Crowther shares how it can help operators to design new vessels, while shipbuilder Incat Tasmania outlines its vision for fast ferry fleets of the future ROUNDTABLE A helping hand Incat Crowther aims to deliver meaningful solutions to help customers achieve sustainability goals, using stepping-stone technology that is commercially viable and future ready. Incat Crowther undertakes modelling of the complete ferry network to ensure it can make informed design decisions around the most applicable technology for a given operation. This operation-driven design includes timetabling to suit the technology and clientele. To protect capital investment, Incat Crowther is increasingly looking at multiple operating speed modes to accommodate numerous routes. Typically, this entails developing ferries that are designed to use plug-in electric power on shorter routes, and switch to higher energy density fuels on longer routes. Helping ferry lines achieve sustainability goals Photo: Incat Crowther
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