Six Ferries News

NY Waterway announced plans to repower four more of its older ferries, transitioning from traditionally diesel driven units to hybrid technology before eventually operating on pure electric.The private company, which runs ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley, was awarded $7.298 million in grant funding for the project through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant program with the support of NJ TRANSIT.Each ferry upgrade consists of removing all main engines and generators…

The Jinling Shipyard in China has ordered 4 × MAN 51/60DF engines in connection with the building of 1 + 1 × 230-meter-long RoPax vessels for TT-Line, the German ferry operator. The vessel will feature a complete MAN propulsion package, besides the engines, including propellers, a fuel-gas-supply system (FGSS), and HyProp ECO – MAN’s innovative, fuel-saving, hybrid propulsion system.The newbuilding is based on TT-Line’s ‘Green Ship’ design, developed in collaboration with Copenhagen-based designer…

Heinen & Hopman, the provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems (HVACR) for the marine industry, was awarded the contract to supply the HVACR and refrigeration for a 230M RoPax ferry, to be built for TT-Line.The German ferry operator TT-Line possesses six ferries operating in the Baltic Sea. Expecting a growing demand for short sea transport in the Baltic Sea, TT-Line decided to invest in its fleet to meet their customers’ needs by offering a modern and comfortable journey.TT-Line’s newest ferry will be powered by LNG  but will be able to run on diesel as well. The ferry has 50% less emissions compared to the previous generation of vessels.The ferry will be built at Jinling Shipyard, located in Jiangsu, China.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has put the first two passenger vessels for New York's new Citywide Ferry Service on the water, having splashed the new builds at its Franklin, La. shipyard late last week. At 7:30 a.m. on February 24, operators from Berard Transportation began the process of moving the first of two 86' x 26' catamaran-hulled aluminum passenger vessels from Metal Shark's final assembly building to the waiting cranes from H. Brown Crane Service, which hoisted the vessel and placed it into the adjacent Charenton Canal.

For nearly two decades, Frank Foti has led Vigor’s transformation from a single, struggling shipyard to a thriving, increasingly diversified industrial company with 2,500 employees, 12 locations and approximately $700 million in annual revenue. According to Vigor, Foti often describes his motivation in three words: “Industrial Jobs Matter.” Committed to improving long-term, family-wage job opportunities workers and their families and communities, Foti and his management team have, over time, has worked to strategically expand and diversify the company, investing in training facilities and infrastructure along the way. Also according to Vigor…

Rolls-Royce informs it has signed a contract to deliver two Azipull propellers for a new double-ended car ferry being built in Norway. The contract includes an option to supply propellers for two additional ferries. The new ferry will operate in North Norway for owner Torghatten Trafikkselskap. These types of double-ended ferries are designed to commute back and forth between ferry quays along the Norwegian coastline. The new ferry will be built by Fiskerstrand yard, near Ålesund.

The trend toward the procurement of high-spec, environmentally friendly vessels continues with news that AS Tallink Grupp and Meyer Turku Oy signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the construction of an environmentally friendly car-passenger ferry for Tallinn-Helsinki route shuttle operations. The ship will cost around $286 million and will be built at Turku shipyard for delivery in the beginning of 2017. The new ferry will be about 212 m long with a gross tonnage of 49 000. The ship will operate on the route between Helsinki and Tallinn and she is planned to carry 2800 passengers.

Caterpillar Marine and Cat Dealer Pon Power announced the first Cat 3512C marine generator sets with Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) have been selected to power Assessoria Transporte Aquaviaro fast ferries for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 28 Cat generator sets will be installed on seven aluminum-hull fast ferries, with 14x Cat 3512 generator sets and 14x Cat 9 generator sets providing prime and auxiliary power. Each 3512 generator set will provide 1,550 eKW at 60 Hz of rated power.

Caterpillar Marine with Cat Dealer Pon Power are pleased to announce the first Cat 3512C marine generator sets with Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) have been selected to power Assessoria Transporte Aquaviaro fast ferries for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 28 Cat generator sets will be installed on 7 aluminum-hull fast ferries, with 14x Cat 3512 generator sets and 14x Cat 9 generator sets providing prime and auxiliary power. Each 3512 generator set will provide 1550 eKW @ 60 Hz of rated power. One ferry will be equipped with the new Cat marine dual fuel solution and powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). The remaining six ferries are being constructed with the option to readily retrofit the engine room to include the Dynamic Gas Blending kits in the future.

On Thursday 16 April 2009, STX Europe delivered from its Rauma yard the fifth cruise ferry for Tallink, the Baltic Queen. The vessel is worth $233.6m. The vessel will start operations between Stockholm - Tallinn route on 24 April 2009, replacing the M/S Romantika. The queen is the sistership for the Baltic Princess, handed over from the Helsinki shipyard in July 2008. The queen is the fifth sophisticated cruise ferry STX Europe has delivered for Tallink. In total, STX Europe has built six ferries for Tallink…

The ultra competitive Greek ferry market has not only proven to be a fertile breeding ground for advanced marine technology, it has served as a role model for the direction of shipping services in both the region and the world. The Greek market has provided the collective builders and suppliers of advanced fast and conventional ferries a rich environment for business over the past few months, a trend that seems likely to continue. Specifically, Greek owners and operators have been at the forefront of an international buying binge for large, fast passenger, vehicle and cargo carrying craft. Driven by the need for speed, many owners are turning to advances in marine electronic and propulsion systems to ensure that the multi-million dollar investments are kept running safe and efficient.

Costa Crociere -- a member of the Carnival Corporation & plc group -- has doubled its order with Fincantieri, reaching an agreement to build the Costa Concordia’s new sistership, a 112,000-ton, 475 million euro ship. The new order will also help offset the sale of the Costa Tropicale to P&O Cruises Australia. The will be built in the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa). It is scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2007. The new Concordia class ship ordered by Costa Crociere, which has yet to be named, will allow Costa Crociere to maintain its leadership in Europe in terms of capacity and to set a company record as Europe’s most modern fleet.

Minoan Flying Dolphins bought six ferries, operating in the sea routes linking the ports of Piraeus and Rafina with the Cyclades islands, from businessman Costas Agapitos. The cost of the acquisitions was not released. The ferries are Express Afrodite, Express Athena, Express Apollo, Express Hermes, Express Olympia and Express Santorini. The fleet additions will quadruple the present carrying capacity of Minoan Flying Dolphins in the Cyclade island routes. The number of passengers is expected to increase by 18,000 daily.