Spirit Of Tasmania News

Rauma Marine Constructions celebrated the launch and christening of Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two identical car and passenger ferries the Finnish shipyard is building for Tasmania's TT-Line.Built to replace similarly Finnish-built sister ships, the new vessels are specially designed to operate on a challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania.The Spirit of Tasmania IV was christened at the RMC shipyard. The vessel’s godmother…

The 47th Annual Interferry Conference takes place in Hobart, Tasmania on November 4-8, 2023. With focus on elevating the customer experience and sustainability, expert presentations will feature the latest trends in tourism, service automation and onboard entertainment, as well as ship construction and conversion trends, optimised operations, and safety measures.How global tourism trends have changed and will develop post COVID-19 are part of the keynote of Robert Dougan from Tourism Australia, who kicks off the conference on Day 1.

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions held a steel cutting ceremony to mark the official start of construction for Spirit of Tasmania V, the second liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered car and passenger ferry for the world’s southernmost open sea route between mainland Australia and Tasmania.The production of the first vessel began in February 2022 and its keel-laying ceremony was held in late October. The design and construction of both vessels have proceeded according to schedule.

Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions held a keel laying ceremony of Spirit of Tasmania IV, a car and passenger ferry being built for the Tasmanian TT-Line Company.TT-Line, which operates between mainland Australia and Tasmania, has commissioned two identical Spirit of Tasmania vessels from RMC. The large-scale project is the biggest individual foreign sale between Australia and Finland.”Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the design and production of the Spirit of Tasmania vessels have proceeded according to the agreed schedule.

Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec has won a contract to supply advanced fire-fighting systems to a pair of 48,000grt LNG dual-fuelled eco ferries under construction at Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions  (RMC) for Australian shipowner Spirit of Tasmania."This is a major order from a returning customer,” said Michal Peruga,  General Manager, Survitec, Poland. “This contract win demonstrates our  ability to go beyond simple equipment supply to being able to provide a  complete bespoke fire safety solution for all areas of the ship…

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions said it has started building the first of two new car and passenger ferries for Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company). The construction of the Spirit of Tasmania IV, set to operate between mainland Australia and Tasmania, kicked off with a traditional steel cutting ceremony.“Although the actual construction of the first ferry started today, RMC and Spirit of Tasmania already have a long history. The pandemic, among other things, disrupted our plans, but the agreement for the vessels was re-signed in 2021.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, said on Friday it has secured new order to supply cargo access equipment for two RoPax vessels to be built by Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) for Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company Pty Ltd).The order was booked into Cargotec's second quarter 2021 order intake, with deliveries planned to commence during the third quarter of 2022 and completed during the first quarter of 2023.The scope of supply includes bow and stern access equipment, internal ramps, car decks, provision trailer lift and cover, shell doors and dedicated hydraulic/electric systems.

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) announced it has been awarded a contract with Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) to deliver propulsion and steering equipment for two new car and passenger ferries. The vessels will be operated by the Australian company TT-Line for the regular Spirit of Tasmania ferry service – a 10.5-hour journey across the Bass Strait between Melbourne, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania.Each vessel will be fitted with two of KM’s Promas combined propulsion and steering systems…

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä said it will supply the engines and fuel gas supply systems for two new Ro-Pax ferries being built at the Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) yard in Finland for Australian ferry fleet owner and operator TT-Line Company Pty Ltd.TT-Line currently operates two ferries, Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, both of which operate with Wärtsilä engines, on the route between Melbourne, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania. This fleet is now being renewed by the building of two new 212-meter-long vessels…

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) said on Wednesday that it has secured an order from Australian shipping company TT Line Company to build two car and passenger ferries at the Rauma shipyard.The newbuild order comes after TT Line, also known as Spirit of Tasmania, withdrew from a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) last July while the Tasmanian government-owned company investigated options to produce the vessels locally to help offset economic impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.RMC revealed Wednesday that negotiations resumed in March this year…

Australian ferry operator TT Line has withdrawn from a memorandum of understanding with Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions for the construction of two new car and passenger ferries as it investigates options to build the vessels domestically.The Tasmanian government-owned operator, also known as Spirit of Tasmania, signed the MOU with RMC after canceling an initial contract with German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in February. Under the MOU, RMC was scheduled to begin building the two new 1…

Finnish shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) and Australian TT-Line Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on two fast car and passenger ferries.The Project will have an impact on employment totalling around 3,500 person-years, and the construction work will start at the beginning of 2021, said a press release from the company specialized in constructing car ferries, icebreakers and naval vessels.”We are proud and grateful of the trust TT-Line Company has shown us. We believe that with this new partnership, we can serve our customer in a way that results in a world-class car and passenger ferry solution for TT-Line Company’s business.

German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard will not build TT-Line Company Pty Ltd's new Spirit of Tasmania vessels.The Australian shipping company TT-Line cancelled the order at FSG for the construction of two ferries, said a statement from the shipyard.The cancellation of the orders 778 and 779 for TT-Line is by mutual agreement after constructive and objective discussions between the management and owners of FSG and the management of TT-Line.Alex Gregg-Smith, Managing Director of FSG said, “This decision has been taken with the mutual consent of all parties concerned and is part of our reorientation of FSG as we focus on building high-quality products on time and on budget.”

Viva Energy Australia announced the launch of its new very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), developed to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new regulations on fuel sulphur content.The new regulations will limit the sulphur content in marine fuels to 0.5% from the current level of 3.5%, in a move to reduce sulphur oxide emissions globally. Vessels worldwide will be required to comply by January 1, 2020.The introduction of the IMO’s new sulphur cap on fuels is one…

Interferry, the trade association representing the worldwide ferry industry, has announced that the new chairman of its board of directors is John Steen-Mikkelsen, CEO of Danish ferry operator Danske Faerger.Steen-Mikkelsen was elected together with three new board members at the annual general meeting held last week in Cancun, Mexico, during the association’s 43rd annual conference.The Interferry board is drawn from all types of large and small ferry operations - including ro-pax, ro-ro, cruise ferries, fast ferries and passenger-only ferries - as well as industry suppliers.

While orders for new vessels have continued to decline worldwide in 2017, the situation in the German and European shipbuilding market is different, with an increase of incoming orders. As shipping experts state: “…this is not a trend but a snapshot, but it indicates a high competitiveness of the German shipbuilding industry, particularly on technologically advanced projects.”The global mood barometer of the maritime industry had reached its lowest point in 2016. From the abyss confidence and order have carefully increased…

According to reports, shipping industry sources have named European company Corsica Ferries as the successful bidder for the Spirit of Tasmania III.. The name of the bidder and financial details of the offer have remained a mystery when TT- Line announced that a memorandum of understanding had been signed for the sale. Sources close to the industry believe European company Corsica Ferries put in the winning bid but the sale price remains unknown. Corsica Ferries and its subsidiary Sardinia Ferries transport more than one million passengers annually aboard eight ferries, which operate in the western Mediterranean Sea. The Spirit III will be given a new name and will most likely be employed on a run between Corsica and France. Source: Tasmania Examiner

The challenges and opportunities posed by alternative fuels, safety management and social media dominated Interferry’s 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, where a record 370 delegates shared insights on ship technologies, safety issues including cyber security and the customer experience. Attendance at last week’s conference represented 210 ferry operators and suppliers from 27 countries. Mediterranean ferry operators voiced their concerns on meeting the 0.5 percent sulphur emissions cap due in 2020. Minoan Lines managing director Antonios Maniadakis complained that using low sulphur fuel would increase costs by €2 million per year.

The Spirit of Tasmania III has docked in Devonport for the final time. The Sydney-to-Devonport ferry made a low-key entrance to northern Tasmania on Monday, almost two months after its sale to Mediterranean operator Corsica Ferries. Spirit III's final voyage lacked the fanfare of its launch in January 2004, when it was billed as a tourism boon to the island state. Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon announced the ferry's sale in June, saying the loss-making vessel was no longer viable. Only a year before that, the government threw Spirit III a $115 million lifeline, but Mr Lennon said the domestic tourism decline had changed passenger forecasts. Corsica Ferries purchased the ferry for $111 million, which was $6 million more than its 2003 purchase price, in July.

Passenger numbers on the Bass Strait ferry service have grown by 16 per cent over the past two years, says Tasmania's Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding, says AAP. For the 2014-15 financial year 384,501 people travelled on the two Spirit of Tasmania vessels, up from some 330,000 in 2012-13. "I am delighted to report that the trend in passenger numbers on the Spirit of Tasmania has turned sharply upward," Hidding said. The remodeled and refurbished Spirit of Tasmania vessels are set to play a key role in assisting the government to meet its vision of increasing visitor numbers to the state to 1.5 million people a year by 2020, Chairman Mike Grainger said.

Global trade association Interferry has chosen Hobart, Tasmania, as the venue for its 45th annual conference in October 2020 – the third time that the ferry industry’s showcase event will have been staged in Australia following Sydney in 1995 and Gold Coast in 2002. Hobart was confirmed for 2020 during an Interferry board meeting in Atlanta, U.S. “We felt it was important to go back to Australia – we have a strong base of members there and they have always been very supportive,” explained CEO Mike Corrigan.

TT-Line Company and European shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) have signed a letter of intent (LoI) for the construction of two new ships to replace the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels. TT-Line chairman Mike Grainger said the companies would now commence contract negotiations and agree to final design specifications. “FSG was endorsed by the Board after the company short listed a number of international shipyards to build the new tailor-made vessels,” he said. FSG is a highly respected and experienced ship builder that has constructed more than 750 vessels  since it was established in 1872. It is currently building cruise ferries for Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries as well as RoRo vessels for the Siem Group.