115 Operator Vessel Yard Pax Delivery estimate Buquebús China Zorrilla Incat Tasmania 1,200 Q4 2025 GNV GNV Orion Guangzhou Shipyard International 1,785 2025 CMAL Loch Indaal Cemre Shipyard, Yalova 450 2025 CMAL Claymore Cemre Shipyard, Yalova 450 2025 CMAL Lochmor Cemre Shipyard, Yalova 450 2025 GNV GNV Virgo Guangzhou Shipyard International 1,785 2026 GNV GNV Aurora Guangzhou Shipyard International 1,785 2026 Corsica Linea Capu Rossu China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard 1,000 2026 Torghatten Nord Misterøy Özata 202 Q2 2026 Torghatten Nord Fløytind Özata 202 Q3 2026 La Méridionale 2 x ro-pax China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard 1,000 2027 Norled 3 x ro-pax Havyard shipyard 250 2027 BC Ferries 4 x ro-pax Damen Shipyards Galati 390 2027 Attica Group E-Flexer 14 ro-pax China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard 1,500 Q2 2027 Attica Group E-Flexer 15 ro-pax China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard 1,500 Q3 2027 Molslinjen 2 x HSC Incat Tasmania 1,483 2027-2028 Washington State Ferries 3 x ro-pax Eastern Shipbuilding Group 1,500 2028+ Gotlandsbolaget Horizon X Austal, Cebu 1,500 2028 Grimaldi 9 x ro-pax CMI Jinling 1,100 – 2,500 2028-2030 Notable ferry orders up to 2030 1,100 guests. These are tailored for the Finland–Germany route. In Denmark, Nordic Ferry Infrastructure’s Molslinjen, has placed a multibillion-Danish krone order for two battery-electric high-speed catamarans to operate on the Kattegat route. Built by Incat in Tasmania, the vessels will mark a major milestone for sustainable highspeed ferry design. Incat Tasmania is also well underway with the construction of Buquebús’s China Zorrilla, the world’s largest fully electric ship, and Hull 100, a 78-metre hybrid ferry. Each Molslinjen catamaran will be 129 metres in length and 30.5 metres in beam, carrying up to 1,483 passengers and 500 cars – an 11 per cent increase over Bornholmslinjen’s Express 5, the current world’s largest fast craft by vehicle capacity. Equipped with 45,000-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery packs, each ferry will reach speeds over 40 knots. Shore charging will occur at both the Aarhus and Odden terminals, with each vessel receiving up to 25,000 kWh of energy during a 30-minute charging window using 15-kilovolt alternating current at 55,000 kilowatts. A third Molslinjen catamaran is also in planning, with discussions ongoing across multiple shipyards. If built, the trio would create the world’s largest maritime electrification project to date. The first vessel is expected to arrive around late 2027. In British Columbia, BC Ferries’ Island-class programme has reached its next phase. Four new 81-metre vessels will be introduced by 2027, expanding the fleet to 10. Each will use Corvus Orca batteries with 2,034 kWh of storage, enabling zero-emission operation. The vessels will carry 390 passengers and 47 vehicles, supporting full electric propulsion and enhanced service frequency. Further south in the USA, Washington State Ferries has confirmed Eastern Shipbuilding Group as the builder of three 160-vehicle hybrid-electric vessels. The $714.5 million contract follows a competitive tender and will see the newbuilds enter service from 2028, with ABB providing propulsion systems. These next-generation ferries will relieve the ageing fleet on the Mukilteo–Clinton and Seattle–Bremerton routes. Meanwhile in the Mediterranean, Corsica Linea has reached a major fleet milestone with the June 2025 launch of Capu Rossu, the operator’s second E-Flexer vessel. Built by China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard, the LNGpowered ferry is due to enter service in 2026 between Marseille, France, and the island of Corsica. Like its sister ship A Nepita, Capu Rossu is tailored for the French domestic market, balancing fuel efficiency with passenger comfort.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=