Passenger Vessel News Roundup | January 18 – New ferries for Greenland, India, UK and Canada

An operator in Greenland welcomes a new compact ferry to its fleet while an Indian shipyard launches an electric commuter catamaran. Construction starts on a ferry that will serve coastal communities in the UK. Finally, a Canadian owner places orders for additional electric vessels.

Passenger boat delivered to Greenland operator

Greenland-based ferry and tour operator Diskoline recently took delivery of a new 15-metre boat that can carry up to 12 passengers.

The vessel is designed for operations in Arctic conditions and is compliant to the regulations set by the Danish Maritime Authority for vessels operating in Greenland.

The boat is powered by twin Volvo Penta inboard diesel engines that propel it to a top speed of 30 knots. Specialised features include heated handrails and guardrails, luggage storage areas, and an extensive navigation package from Furuno.

Indian shipbuilder floats out new electric ferry

Indian state-owned shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) launched a new aluminium catamaran ferry at its Kolkata facilities earlier this month.

Upon completion, Dheu (“Wave”) will have a length of 24 metres, space for 150 passengers, and a 246kWh liquid-cooled battery that will drive two propellers to deliver a speed of 10 knots. PV panels will also be fitted to augment the vessel’s electrical power supply.

GRSE is building the ferry in compliance to Indian Register of Shipping class rules.

First steel cut for future Stena Line ferry for UK operations

China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) recently held a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction of a new Ro-Pax ferry ordered by Sweden’s Stena Line.

The vessel will be the first in a series of two that Stena Line will operate on the route between Belfast and Heysham in the UK. Delivery is scheduled for 2025.

The ferry will be fitted with a hybrid propulsion system that can operate on conventional fuel oil, biofuel, methanol, and battery power.

BC Ferries orders electric newbuildings from Dutch builder

Canada’s BC Ferries has placed an order for four fully electric Ro-Pax ferries in a series to be built by Netherlands-based the Damen Shipyards Group.

Each ferry will have a length of 81 metres, capacity for 47 vehicles and 390 passengers, and 2,000kW battery packs. The vessels will also be fitted with auxiliary diesel engines for back-up and general redundancy.

The ferries are scheduled to commence operations in British Columbia waters in 2027.