Incat to switch to battery-electric power for 426' catamaran ferry

drive propulsors, while zero-emission power includes batteries, frequency converters, transformers and electric motors, plus shoreside infrastructure to handle recharging.

“Obviously, there needs to be sufcient energy supply in the ports that the ship would visit,” said Clifford. “But we understand this is progressing positively. The batteries and electric motors are being worked through with our suppliers to ensure they can deliver the technology required in the timeframe we need them.”

Peter Gutwein, Incat’s strategic adviser, said that Incat is ready to meet the demand. “The world wants large, lightweight, zero-emission ships,” he said, “and we are already scaling up our workforce and production facility for what will be a signi cant expansion.”

With customers around the world looking for low- or zero-emissions alternatives to fossil-fuel propulsion, Incat Tasmania believes it has the wherewithal to make that transition. In fact, the company and one of its customers is changing course for a vessel already under construction.

Buquebus, one of Incat’s longtime customers based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, recently asked Incat to “investigate the possibility of replacing the LNG powerplant with a battery-electric solution,” for a 130-meter (426') catamaran that will carry 2,100 passengers and 226 vehicles, according to Incat. When the transition from LNG to batteries is completed, the vessel would be the world’s largest zero-emissions ferry operating on any route anywhere.

“The customer wants this to happen, Incat wants this to happen, and whilst there are matters to be nalized, I am extremely con dent that Incat can deliver this groundbreaking ship,” said Incat group chairman and founder Robert Clifford. “In my experience, unless we see something come in from left eld, this is a done deal.”

Craig Clifford, Incat’s managing director, acknowledged that “there are always challenges if you change any aspect of the design of a ship part way through [the] build, but in simple terms, this is just swapping out one method of propulsion for another.”

That swapping out requires a lot of new engineering, however. At the recent Interferry conference in Seattle, Luke Pretlove, Austal’s technical manager, said, “Electric ferries require longer and more complex design spirals.”

Conventional diesel power requires only main engines and gearboxes to

“Zero-emissions shipping is the future,” said Clifford, “and Incat, based in Tasmania, one of the few places on the planet which has already delivered net zero, is now poised to revolutionize the world’s shipping eet by delivering the world’s rst zero-emissions, lightweight ship.” — Bruce Buls

Philly Shipyard cuts steel for fourth national security training ship

TOTE Services LLC, Philly Shipyard Inc., and Texas

A&M University at Galveston cut steel in January for the fourth 524'5"×88'7"×55' national security multimission vessel (NSMV) destined for the Texas A&M Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas.

The Philadelphia-based shipyard will build up to ve new ships, with 21'4" drafts. The fourth NSMV is expected to be delivered in 2025 to Texas A&M Maritime Academy. In 2019, Marad awarded TOTE Services a contract for the NSMV program.

The NSMV IV’s steel cutting is another major construction milestone for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s NSMV program, designed to provide a purposebuilt, state-of-the-art training platform for state maritime academies in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Texas, and California.

In addition to providing world-class training for future U.S. mariners, these ve NSMVs will be available to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need.

“We are proud to welcome cadets and staff from Texas A&M Maritime Academy to our shipyard in celebration of the of cial start of fabrication on their new training vessel,” said Steinar Nerbovik, president and CEO of Philly Shipyard. “With this milestone event in the NSMV program, we now have four ships under active construction and strong backlog into the future.”

Along with serving as an educational and training platform for future U.S. mariners, the ve diesel-electric powered NSMVs will also be available to support federal government efforts in response to national and international disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

In this role as a National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessel, the NSMV will incorporate medical capabilities, a command-and-control platform, and berthing for up to 1,000 rst responders and recovery workers. The vessel’s rollon/roll-off ramp and crane to facilitate container storage capabilities will enable it to provide critical support equipment and supplies to those in need.

Main propulsion will come from four Wabtec 16V250MDC diesel engines, producing a total of 19,260 hp from two