Austal secures contract to build the largest high speed ferry for Mols

Austal Limited (Austal) (ASX: ASB) has been awarded a contract to design and build a 109 metre vehicle passenger (RoPax) ferry for Mols Linien A/S (Mols) (OMX: MOLS) of Denmark, its fourth new commercial ferry contract in the past month, the shipbuilding company said Friday.

The circa A$100million contract will be the largest commercial ferry built by Austal since 2011, and is proposed to be built at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard, commencing first quarter of 2017.

The 109 metre RoPax ferry is an enhanced design based on Austal’s proven catamaran platform, with a new optimised hull shape and vessel weight minimisation solution that delivers better performance and greater fuel efficiency. Innovations such as these will enable Mol’s new high speed ferry to achieve lower operating costs and deliver an enhanced passenger experience.

The first-in-class vessel will be the first built by Austal to feature two full vehicle decks for 425 cars, or 610 lane metres for trucks and up to 232 cars. With a capacity to carry up to 1,006 passengers safely and comfortably at speeds up to 40 knots, the all-aluminium catamaran delivers greater capability to Mols to achieve early, valuable returns on a strategic commercial investment.

Based on previous commercial vessel construction programs of this magnitude, Austal’s Australian shipbuilding operations are anticipated to engage more than 350 local design, production and project management employees in the delivery of the Mols contract, further enhancing Austal’s and the greater Australian shipbuilding industry’s sovereign capability.

A total of seven large (greater than 100 metres long) high speed RoPax ferries have been produced for international operators at Austal’s Henderson shipyard since 2001.

Henderson-headquartered Austal was founded in 1988 and is today a world leader in the design and construction of customized aluminum defense and commercial vessels. With shipyards in Western Australia, the United States of America (Mobile, Alabama) and Balamban, Philippines, Austal has delivered more than 220 vessels for customers around the world. Austal’s product range includes passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries, patrol boats, theatre support vessels, combat ships, multi-role vessels and luxury private live-aboards. Austal is also an established provider of worldwide vessel maintenance and management services.