AUSTAL Australia is preparing to develop a high-speed catamaran that can operate on hydrogen and other green fuels.
The Australian shipbuilder signed a memorandum of understanding with Swedish ferry line Gotland Company to agree on a design for the vessel.
The vessel, Gotland Horizon X, would be a 130-metre-long catamaran with capacity for 1650 passengers and 450 vehicles.
It would run between mainland Sweden and the Swedish island of Gotland at speeds of up to 35 knots.
Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the shipbuilder is ready to finalise the new design to the highest standards.
“Austal has developed vessel designs optimised for various fuel and propulsion technologies, including hydrogen and electricity, that offer a real choice to operators of high speed craft,” Mr Gregg said.
Gotland Company CEO Håkan Johansson said the agreement is an important step in the company’s climate journey.
“We are working on developing our future ships, and in 2022 we presented the second ship model in our Horizon series: Gotland Horizon X,” Mr Johansson said.
“She will be used foremost during the summer months and make the trip to and from Gotland in under three hours.
“The ship design is based on Gotland’s, and our passengers needs to be able to travel with a short transit time to competitive prices, without burdening the climate or environment.”
Gotland Company plans to develop features with a goal to minimise energy demand and weight and optimise the energy consumed on board.
“Austal is a leading company within development and productions of large catamarans and is the perfect partner in continuing the development of Gotland Horizon X,” head of Gotland Tech Development Christer Bruzelius said.
Austal noted Gotland Company previously presented a large passenger and freight vessel, with capacity for 1900 passengers and 600 vehicles.
The plan is to have at least one of the ships in traffic before 2030.
