🚢 Gotlandsbolaget orders $170 million high-speed catamaran ferry 💨
Swedish shipping company Gotlandsbolaget has signed a $170 million (AU$270 million) contract with Austal Australasia to design and build a 130-metre hydrogen-ready high-speed Ro-Pax catamaran
📌 Key features of the vessel:
✅ Largest vessel built by Austal
✅ World's first high-speed combined cycle system (gas and steam turbines)
✅ Capacity: 1,500 passengers, 400 cars + freight
✅ Hybrid fuel system with hydrogen capability
✅ Construction to begin in the first half of 2026 at Austal Philippines, completion expected mid-2028
📢 History project:
▪️ In April 2023, Austal and Gotlandsbolaget announced the development of a multi-purpose high-speed catamaran capable of running on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen.
▪️ The companies worked with leading global technology developers to select key equipment and a drive system.
▪️ The innovative propulsion system will use exhaust gases for additional propulsion, reducing emissions
The new project brings Gotlandsbolaget closer to green shipping and Austal closer to new technological heights in the field of hydrogen and multi-fuel transport.
