Presently, a distance of more than 16,000 kilometres, or almost half-way around the globe, seems insurmountable, when it comes to signing a contract, unless the contracting parties agree to do so in synch via video link.
That is precisely how the Tasmanian-based Australian shipping company, SeaRoad, and German shipbuilding yard, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), have finalised the purchase contract for a RoRo vessel with LNG propulsion.
FSG – SeaRoad partnership
A face-to-face meeting in Australia or Germany was not possible due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, but the spirit of cooperation between the two organisations provided the foundation to deliver an outcome that was almost a year in the making.
Delivery of the vessel to SeaRoad has been agreed for the last quarter of 2023
Work on the contracted RoRo vessel with a length of 210 metres and a width of 29.30 metres will start in Flensburg, in winter 2021/2022 (Europe). Delivery of the vessel to SeaRoad has been agreed for the last quarter of 2023.
New RoRo vessel
The vessel will have 3,792 lane metres available for the carriage of freight units, plus capacity for over 100 trade vehicles. A special requirement for the vessel is the capability to transport heavy cargo, with a unit weight of up to 100 tonnes. The order now placed is worth more than 100 million euros. The funding partner for the project is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
SeaRoad is already a familiar and long-standing Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft customer. The first RoRo vessel ‘Made in Flensburg’, the MS Searoad Mersey II had joined the SeaRoad fleet in 2016. The second FSG-built vessel, MS Liekut, joined the SeaRoad fleet recently, under a three-year charter agreement in April 2021.
FSG-built vessels offer high performance
Chas Kelly, the Executive Chairman of SeaRoad, said “We’ve been very pleased with how the two FSG-built vessels in the SeaRoad fleet have performed, from both an efficiency and operational perspective.”
Chas Kelly adds, “We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with the German shipyard and their experienced staff. Sustainable design, leading technology and the excellent quality of their vessels are all important elements.”
Long-standing partnership
Philipp Maracke, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), said “We are proud to have brought this order to Flensburg, as it is proof of the shipyard’s successful new start.”
Our aim is to combine superior quality and superior life-cycle value"
Philipp Maracke adds, “This additional order by a long-standing customer equals an important vote of confidence in both this new model, as well as our established expertise as an innovative German newbuilding yard. Our aim is to combine superior quality and superior life-cycle value. With this new vessel, FSG and SeaRoad will make an important contribution to sustainable shipping.”
New RoRo vessel to operate on Bass Strait
The new RoRo vessel will operate on Bass Strait between Devonport, on the island of Tasmania, and Melbourne, Victoria on mainland Australia.
With its proven high-quality standards, the high efficiency of the LNG-powered (liquefied natural gas) vessel and the associated low operating costs, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has once again impressed SeaRoad.
Technical data of the RoRo vessel newbuilding 784 for SeaRoad (3D-Model: FSG):
- Length: 210 metres
- Width: 29.30 metres
- Gross registered tonnage 43,100
- Power main engines: 2 x 10,300 kilowatts
- Deadweight: 12,183 tonnes
- Speed: 22.50 knots
- Cabins: 25 (27 berths)
- Cargo capacities: 3,792 lane metres plus capacity for over 100 trade vehicles
