A car and passenger ferry built to operate a route between Australia and Tasmania has berthed in Edinburgh, where it could remain 'for at least two years'.
The Spirit of Tasmania IV was the first of a planned series of two 1,800-passenger ferries that will sail on Australian operator TT-Line Company’s Spirit of Tasmania service between Geelong, Melbourne and Devonport on Tasmania’s north coast.
However, the ferry, which boasts 40 per cent more freight and passenger-carrying capacity than the current ships which operate the route, is too large to fit in the berth in Devonport.
TT-Line Company, which is owned by the Tasmanian government, is reported to be exploring options to lease or charter the Spirit of Tasmania IV and its sister vessel, Spirit of Tasmania V, while berthing infrastructure is completed.
The Tasmanian Government said that the permanent berth may not be ready until February 2027, but is hopeful of an October 2026 completion date.
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In the meantime, despite being docked in Finland, where it was built by Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), the ferry has relocated to Scotland due to concerns over ice conditions in the Baltic Sea.
TT-Line chief executive Bernard Dwyer was quoted as saying that the vessel is “not designed for the extremely low ambient temperatures anticipated” in the region.
Leith Port in Edinburgh was identified as the most cost effective and climate-suitable location to store the newly-built vessel.
Tasmania's Minister for Transport, Eric Abetz confirmed on Tuesday that the vessel was now safely docked at Leith after the voyage from Finland, during which extensive pre-planned sea trials were conducted with a surveyor on board.
“The sea trials tested the vessel's systems, performance and capabilities under real-world conditions before heading to Scotland,” Mr Abetz said.
Mr Abetz also revealed that taxpayers in Tasmania will be paying around $47,000 (£23,800) per week to keep the ferry in Scotland.
He added: "It is prudent to relocate the ship to Leith whilst leasing options are explored. To have it relocated to Tasmania whilst these options are explored would be far more expensive and waste a significant amount of taxpayer money."
RMC in Finland was awarded the contract to build the two ferries in 2021 after German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaf, which was originally selected to construct the two ferries in 2018, filed for insolvency in 2020.
The ferries are scheduled to replace the Spirit of Tasmania’s two current operational vessels, which were also built in Finland in 1998.
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