A.P.T. JAMES has been delivered. © Austal

Austal delivers T&T’s A.P.T. JAMES

High-speedThe first of the government of Trinidad and Tobago’s two newbuilding high-speed ro-pax catamarans, the all-aluminium Austal Auto Express 94m A.P.T. JAMES, has been delivered by the Australian builder’s Vietnamese yard in Ving Tau.

To improve the vital sea bridge link between Trinidad, Port of Spain and Tobago, Scarborough, the government's National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) ordered two catamaran fast ferries from Austal and Incat, respectively.

Both newbuildings were to have entered service in mid-2020 but have been delayed for a number of reasons, not in the least COVID-19. The newbuilds will replace the Incat 98m wave piercer T&T SPIRIT and Virtu Ferries' Austal Auto Express 107m JEAN DE LA VALETTE.

APT JAMES is capable of carrying 926 passengers and 250 cars. It features Austal's newly developed smart ship technology MARINELINK-Smart. Incat's 100m wave piercing catamaran for T&T will have a capacity of 1,000 persons and 239 cars or a combination of trucks and cars.

Both designs are each powered by four MAN 16V28 / 33D STC diesel engines, each developing 7,280kW, driving waterjets, and giving speeds up to 37.5 knots.

Austal Vietnam is well advanced on the shipyard's next project, a new 41m high-speed catamaran ferry for SGTM of Mauritius, due for delivery in the first half of 2021.

Austal's Balamban, Cebu, the Philippines shipyard is building Fjord Line's Austal Auto Express 109m FJORD FSTR. The 1,200-passenger and 404-car capacity ro-pax catamaran was supposed to be introduced between Hirtshals and Kristiansand last spring, yet the delivery has also been marred by COVID-19 and it remains unclear when the vessel will be delivered.

Nov 05 2020