New catamaran to be built by Austal and feature MTU engines and Rolls-Royce waterjets
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Förde Reederei Seetouristik Shipping Group (FRS) has ordered a new high-speed ferry to replace Halunder Jet on FRS Helgoline’s route between Hamburg, Wedel, Cuxhaven and Helgoland in Germany.
To be built by Australian shipyard Austal, the new 56-metre-long aluminium catamaran will be powered by four 16-cylinder Series 4000 engines from MTU, and four Kamewa S71 waterjets from Rolls-Royce.
MTU’s Series 4000 Ironmen engines have a common rail fuel injection system, making them both economical and environmentally friendly. Halunder Jet and seven of FRS’s other high-speed ferries already use MTU engines.
“We made a conscious decision in favour of the Ironmen from MTU,” said Jan Kruse, CEO of FRS. “We were very impressed by the extended maintenance intervals, combined with what is nevertheless an excellent power to weight ratio and the low fuel consumption. The MTU engines were thus the right choice for us, but their dynamic acceleration behaviour was also a key factor, of course.”
FRS’s newbuild will also have an optimised hull that is designed to minimise fuel consumption and wake wash. This makes the catamaran ideal for operating on the River Elbe and on the North Sea between Helgoland and the Port of Hamburg.
The yet-to-be-named catamaran will be able to accommodate 692 passengers and will start service in spring 2018. Operating at a speed of up to 35 knots, the ferry will increase daily capacity on the Hamburg to Helgoland route by 20%, compared to Halunder Jet.
Halunder Jet, which has been operating a daily shuttle service between April and October since 2003, will be transferred to FRS subsidiary Clipper Navigation to support the expansion of the services in North West America.