[ 32 ] THE SHIP OF THE FUTURE When P&O Ferries put pen to paper in September 2019, it was the first time that a UK ferry operator had ordered high value-added ro-pax ferries in China. Probably one of the most iconic brands in shipping, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) is rightfully proud to have added a shipping company with a 186year heritage to its tally. P&O Pioneer and P&O Liberté are undoubtedly the most technically advanced ferries ever to operate on the Dover Strait. But besides their green credentials with fuel efficiency at the heart of the design, the vessels also stand out in terms of comfort and style. Indeed, the diesel-electric setup with podded propulsion guarantees zero vibration while the ship’s lavish onboard facilities are second to none on the Channel. The seeds for today’s success of Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) were first sown in the autumn of 1999 when a deal was clinched with Sweden’s Rederi AB Gotland for the construction of two fast conventional ro-pax ferries. At the time of the order, the yard was building a pair of handy-size shortsea ro-ro ferries for A.P. Moller — Maersk Group subsidiary Norfolkline. The newbuilds for Rederi AB Gotland represented the very first ro-pax ferries built in China for foreign interests. Inspired by the successful model of Superfast Ferries in the Adriatic Sea, Rederi AB Gotland’s new ferries, delivered as Visby and Gotland in January and October 2003, respectively, changed ferry travel from the Swedish mainland to the Isle of Gotland overnight, significantly reducing crossing times thanks to a 28.5-knot service speed, some ten knots faster than the ships they replaced. At the turn of the millennium, China was already a major shipbuilding nation, yet GSI’s venture into the construction of complex ro-pax ferries for overseas customers was something unprecedented. Such was the success of the pioneering Visby and Gotland that Rederi AB Gotland came knocking on GSI’s door again for a next-generation of fast conventional ro-pax ferries. A contract was signed in 2014 with Visby and Gotland serving as a benchmark. Although an evolution of the 2003-built pair, the new ro-pax ferries for Rederi AB Gotland were LNG powered — the first such ships built in China — and were also designed and built in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new Safe Return to Port (SRtP) regulations. More than ten years had passed between the delivery of Visby/Gotland and the order for a follow-up series. Obviously, GSI had meanwhile made further progress with lessons learned from the Visby/Gotland project. The return of “ Having carved a niche in the ro-pax segment, GSI has invested heavily in passenger shipspecific infrastructure, including an assembly line for ship’s cabins and a thin plate production line”
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