Large LNG-Powered Ferry Ordered in Sweden

Sweden’s Rederi AB Gotland has signed a contract with GSI Shipyard in China for a new LNG ro-pax ferry with a capacity to carry 1,650 passengers. The new ferry, which will be completed in 2017, will become the first Swedish-flagged passenger vessel powered by LNG. The ferry is a $135 million investment and the single largest investment in the company’s 150-year history. Rederi AB Gotland has had a successful relationship with GSI Shipyard since 1999. In the years 2006 to 2012 the yard delivered a total of six product tankers to Gotland. Gotland says that it worked together with GSI on the design of the new ferry to create optimal hull lines for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. The concept of the ship is a further development of the existing SF1500 ship design. Following the order, Gotland will focus on creating the necessary LNG supply infrastructure.