Austal signs $136m contract

Henderson-based shipbuilder Austal will construct its largest ferry to date after finalising a $136 million follow-up order with Danish ferry operator Molslinjen.

Austal will build a 115-metre high-speed catamaran, an addition to the 109-metre vessel it built for Molslinjen in January.

The Auto Express 115 will be fitted with a new generation of medium-speed engines that are compatible with liquefied natural gas, and is designed with the potential to upgrade to LNG fuel in the future, Austal said.

It will have capacity for 1,610 passengers and space for 450 cars, or 617 lane metres for trucks and 257 cars, as well as an operating service speed close to 37 knots.

The vessel will be designed in Henderson over 12 months and built at the company’s shipbuilding facility in Balamban in the Philippines.

Construction will begin in the third quarter of 2020, with the delivery of the vessel in early 2022.

Austal chief executive David Singleton said the new order confirmed the company’s continuing international competitiveness and leadership in high-speed ferry design, construction and technology.

“The catamaran will feature Austal’s signature raked-bow and optimised hull form, and an LNG-capable medium-speed power plant that offers a powerful, yet economical and environmentally-friendly solution,” he said.

Austal's vehicle-passenger ferry portfolio has now expanded to include over 30 catamaran and trimaran hull designs delivered to 30 operators since 1996.

The company is currently building a second trimaran vessel for UK-based shipping company Fred Olsen, with construction due to complete at the end of 2020.

Additionally, the company finalised a $126 million contract in August to build two vessels for the government of Trinidad & Tobago by the second half 2020.

Austal also revealed that month it had lifted full-year profit 64 per cent to a record $61.4 million.

Its shares are down 0.61 per cent to trade at $4.04, as at 1:00pm AEDT.