Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions has started construction on the second LNG-powered car and passenger ferry for Tasmanian shipping company TT-Line as part of a deal signed last year.
The Rauma shipyard held a steel-cutting ceremony on Tuesday for Spirit of Tasmania V that will operate between mainland Australia and Tasmania.
In April last year, the two firms signed this contract for the LNG-powered duo that will feature Wartsila’s dual-fuel engines.
Both of the LNG-powered vessels are specifically designed to sail on a challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania, Rauma said.
The RoPax ferries will accommodate 1,800 passengers each and will have an approximate gross tonnage of 48,000.
Moreover, the duo will replace the Spirit of Tasmania I and II, both built in Finland in 1998.
Rauma started building the first vessel, Spirit of Tasmania IV, in February this year and laid the keel in October.
The shipbuilder expects to deliver the first vessel in the first quarter of 2024, followed by the second ship in late 2024.