By
Alex Smith |
Shipbuilder Austal is to construct a 41-metre, high-speed catamaran ferry for STGM Mauritius after being awarded the US$10.7 million contract.
Construction will take place at Austal’s new Vietnam shipyard. The ferry will be based on an existing Austal design, the Passenger Express 41 catamaran, which can accommodate 400 passengers over two decks and achieve a maximum speed of 31.5 knots. Specific customer modifications will be added to the design ahead of the start of construction in March 2020.
“We’re very excited to be building this new ship for SGTM, our first destined for the Comoros Islands, and especially pleased that our proven vessel design continues to evolve to meet the needs of operators worldwide,” said David Singleton, CEO of Austal. “In the highly competitive 40-50-metre, high-speed catamaran market, Austal has led the global marketplace, with 80 vessels now built by the company since the early 1990s.”
STGM operates three passenger vessels between the islands of The Comoros archipelago off the coast of Africa, carrying more than 100,000 passengers annually. The catamaran will be the operator’s first newbuild ferry.
“Based on the outstanding performance of Ntringui Express (Austal Hull 58), which was originally delivered to Japan in 1997 and bought by us in 2013, we knew we had to talk to Austal about our first newbuild,” said Michel Labourdere, director of STGM.