The Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Government has awarded Damen Shipyards Group an order for an advanced 80-metre ice-class ferry that will operate on the Fogo Island-Change Islands service.
Scheduled for delivery in September 2015, the 14-knot RoRo ferry will be able to carry up to 200 passengers and 60 vehicles.
According to Damen, the investment in the new ferry is part of the Canadian Government's vessel renewal program. She will replace the aging MV 'Captain Earl Winsor'.
Fifteen proposals were reportedly received in response to the government's request for proposals for the construction of new ferries. Government representatives visited Damen headquarters and its shipyards, as well as some ferries previously built by Damen for the Texel-Den Helder service in the Netherlands.
Damen is not new to the East Coast of Canada. The shipbuilding group has licensed its Spa 4207 patrol boat design to Irving Shipyards for the local construction of the Mid Shore Patrol Program of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Recently, the company also delivered two high-end pontoons to a Canadian operator for deployment at a large offshore project in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The 80-metre ferry was designed by a Canadian engineering firm and Damen is, "also exploring more opportunities about how it can be more closely involved in the local community and further development of the shipbuilding industry in the region together with the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Government."
