Fjord Line orders 1,200-passenger, 400-car Austal cat

AUGUST 18, 2017 — Norway’s Fjord Line AS has ordered a 1,200-passenger, 400-car capacity, high speed catamaran from Australian shipbuilder Austal Ships for its route between Kristiansand, Norway and Hirtshals, Denmark.

“This is a new milestone in Fjord Line’s development. We have been successful on the route in recent years and are delighted to have ordered a new ship,” says Rickard Ternblom, CEO of Fjord Line AS.

[UPDATE: In an August 21 stock exchange announcement, Austal said that the contract for the ship is still being finalized (see story)]

The investment comes following three years growth on the route.

Fjord Line says the new ship will improve its offering in terms of higher capacity, increased comfort, more departures and an extened sailing season compared to the present service.

Fjord Line says the new cat will be ready to enter into revenue service from the 2020 season.

“During the development phase, comfort has been important to us,” says Ternblom. “The new catamaran will be the most relaxing and comfortable mode of travel, as well as being the fastest route between Norway and Denmark.”

Cruising at a top speed of 40 knots, the cat will have a travel time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, says Ternblom, adding that the investment will also take Fjord Line into the freight segment on the corridor.

The new ship will be able to carry 1,200 passengers and more than 400 cars—almost double today’s capacity and will provide 500 lane meters of freight capacity. The tax-free shop on board will be twice as large compared with today’s vessel and guests will be able to choose from three food concepts on their journey.

Children and families with children will also have their own section.

Fjord Line says it will still keep investing in today’s catamaran, HSC Fjord Cat, to ensure a continued competitive product on the Skagerrak corridor.

“We are continuously working on developing all our products and offerings from Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Langesund and Sandefjord. That also means upgrades on today’s ships,” says Ternblom.

Technical information about the ship (HSC Fjord Cat in brackets)

Length 109 m (91 m)

Width 30.5 m (26 m)

Depth under the waterline 3.8 m (3.8 m)

Passengers 1,200 (676)

Passenger vehicles 410 (200)

Freight 500 lane meters (0 m)

Speed ​​40 knots (40 knots)

Crossing time 2h15 min (2h 15 min)