A SWEDISH ferry operator has tasked Austal with building a hydrogen-ready ferry under a contract valued at some $270 million.
Austal Australasia is to design and construct the 130-metre high-speed ro-pax ferry for Gotlandsbolaget as part of the operator’s Horizon X program.
Designed to transport up to 1500 passengers, cargo and 400 vehicles, the vessel would be the largest ever constructed by the ASX-listed shipbuilder.
Austal and Gotlandsbolaget first announced plans for development of the ferry design in April 2023 and have since engaged tech providers from around the world to select the preferred main equipment and define system arrangements. The project gained approval in principle from classification society DNV in October 2024.
Plans for the ferry include a combined cycle propulsion system that includes both gas and steam turbines – a world-first for high-speed craft, according to Austal.
Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the Horizon X program is an “extremely exciting” project that would redefine commercial ferry capabilities.
He highlighted a multi-fuel and hydrogen-capable combined cycle powerplant and class-leading hull design. Austal has also noted the use of “green aluminium” in construction.
“The flexible fuel technology demonstrated in Horizon X is leading the transition to decarbonisation of commercial ferries, and we’re proud to be at the forefront, partnering with Gotlandsbolaget, to deliver this industry-leading new ferry,” Mr Gregg said.
Gotlandsbolaget CEO Håkan Johansson said the collaboration between Austal and Gotland Tech Development (part of Gotlandsbolaget) has progressed the program.
“We can now move forward in supplementing our existing fleet of larger passenger and cargo vessels with a high-speed, multi fuel-catamaran, which is also hydrogen-ready,” he said.
“This vessel is a key step in our strategy to achieve climate-neutral operations, utilising lightweight green aluminium and advanced hydrodynamic design to minimise fuel consumption and emissions.
“Serving the island of Gotland and the [Swedish] mainland in a climate and environmentally responsible way is at the heart of our mission, and Horizon X represents a significant milestone in that journey.”
Construction is due to begin at the Austal Philippines shipyard in the first half of the 2026 calendar year, with completion currently slated for mid-2028.
