Construction is nearly complete on a new cruise ship for a US customer, an electric ferry for the Greater Bay Area off Hong Kong, a Russian catamaran tour boat, and a large Ro-Pax ferry that will operate between the UK and France. A Canadian transport company unveils its latest fleet expansion plans. Finally, a Washington State operator secures funding for a new hydrofoil ferry.
Russia's Sredne Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant has launched a new catamaran sightseeing vessel ordered by local shipowner State Transport Leasing Company for use by tour operator Neva Travel.
Ravelin is the second vessel in the Project 04710 series slated for Neva Travel. Design work on the vessels was undertaken by local naval architecture firm Forss Technology.
The vessel will enter service in 2025 and will be operated in the waters off Saint Petersburg.
A new ferry ordered by the Chu Kong Shipping Group of Hong Kong was recently floated out at the facilities of Chinese shipbuilder Guangdong Sinoway Composite Materials.
Xin Ming Zhu 39 ("New Pearl 39") has carbon-fibre composite construction, an LOA of 34.77 metres, a beam of 10.6 metres, and seating for up to 400 passengers. The propulsion system will consist of batteries driving azimuthing thrusters.
Once in service, the ferry will be operated in the Greater Bay Area between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.
German shipyard Meyer Werft will soon commence sea trials of a new cruise ship ordered by Disney Cruise Line. Disney Treasure is a sister ship of Disney Wish, which was delivered in late 2022.
China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) has completed conducting sea trials of Saint-Malo, a new Ro-Pax ferry ordered by Sweden's Stena RoRo for operation by French transport company Brittany Ferries.
The 195-metre ferry is one of three E-Flexer-class vessels designed by Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin in compliance with DNV class rules. It can transport 1,400 passengers plus vehicles and is fitted with LNG dual-fuel engines and a battery hybrid solution with shore charing capability to minimise emissions. Only battery power will be used when sailing in and out of ports.
A partnership formed by Washington ferry operator Kitsap Transit, naval architecture firm Glosten, and manufacturer Bieker Boats has secured a US$1.2 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop an all-electric fast ferry prototype equipped with hydrofoils.
The grant, which was funded through the Washington Climate Commitment Act, also covers the development of the necessary shoreside infrastructure that will support the operation of the new vessel in Puget Sound.
To address projected population growth, replace ageing vessels, and meet customer expectations, Canadian operator BC Ferries is now continuing the procurement process for the first five of seven new vessels needed for its busiest routes, with the remaining two new vessels to be built in a later phase.
BC Ferries has designed the new vessels in collaboration with Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin. Each vessel will be able to carry up to 360 standard-sized vehicles and 2,100 passengers, indicating a significant capacity increase from the 250 to 310 vehicles and 1,200 to 1,500 passengers that the company's retiring vessels currently accommodate.