New Zealand transport company KiwiRail has entered into an agreement to sell the aged and out of service Ro-Pax ferry Aratere to a buyer, which will deliver it to a specialist recycling shipyard in India.
Aratere, which served in New Zealand for 26 years, was retired in August. KiwiRail said her retirement was done to make way for port infrastructure needed for the arrival of two brand new rail-enabled ferries arriving in 2029.
The company said Aratere is not suitable for most ferry operators due to her age and the fact she would require significant modification or specialist port infrastructure.
"Therefore, we have pursued a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling option," said Duncan Roy, Executive General Manager of KiwiRail's ferry service Interislander.
KiwiRail said that it has conducted due diligence and physical inspections of the shipyard and that it has been liaising closely with New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) throughout the process.
Once the buyer takes ownership of the ferry, it will be responsible for crewing her journey to the recycling yard subject to review by the EPA, which is pending.
Aratere was taken out of service following a grounding incident that occurred near New Zealand's South Island on June 21, 2024.
The ferry was eventually refloated. However, Maritime New Zealand later charged KiwiRail with violating the New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 due to the company's failure to keep the crew and the passengers safe while on board the ferry during and after the grounding.
The timeline of Aratere's grounding, as outlined in an interim report published by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission of New Zealand late last year, can be read here.
