Incat Tasmania has been awarded the contract to build two new battery-powered catamarans for the Danish ferry operator Molslinjen. The 129-meter-long vessels will be equipped with battery systems with a capacity of approximately 45,000 kWh and will operate on the busy Kattegat route between Jutland and Zealand.
The ferries will be used to carry up to 1483 passengers and 500 cars, travelling at speeds of over 40 knots across the Kattegat Sea between Aarhus and Sjællands Odde (Odden). This is an enormously busy waterway, and Moslinjen has long used it to provide travel between two of the most populated islands in Denmark from ports in Aarhus, Odden, and Ebeltoft. Incat has previously built fuel-powered vessels for Moslinjen, which are currently in operation in this area.
The two ferries are expected to be complete by the start of 2028, with Moslinjen reportedly also in dialogue with Incat to receive a third vessel in the form of a catamaran. The construction of the three ferries, including the associated land infrastructure, would cost a total of around 3.5bn Danish kroner (€468 million) and reduce the annual climate impact of ferry operations by around 132,000 tons of CO2. The ferries will be charged at harbours in Aarhus and Odden, and once constructed, will be 11 per cent larger than Bornholmslinjen’s Express 5 which is currently the world’s largest catamaran by vehicle capacity.
In what Incat has called “part of the world’s largest electrification project at sea”, the order is set to coincide with the expansion of Incat’s production facilities at Prince of Wales Bay in Tasmania. This expansion should make it possible for the company to double its capacity and workforce during the next three years.
Incat Chairman Robert Clifford said: “These new vessels for Molslinjen mark a turning point not just for Incat but for the global maritime industry. They are part of a new class of high-speed, low-emission ships that are redefining what’s possible at sea. We’re honoured to again partner with Molslinjen, and proud to help them deliver real environmental change on one of Europe’s busiest ferry routes.”
Kristian Durhuus, the director of Molslinjen, added: “This is a massive undertaking, involving not just the three ferries but also extensive land-based infrastructure projects and energy storage systems for the new ships.”
tv2ostjylland.dk, incat.com.au, molslinjen.dk
