DFDS ORDERS RO-PAX SHIPS IN CHINA
DFDS just signed a contract with the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China for the delivery of two ro-pax ships for our Baltic route network in 2021. The ships will enable us to support our customer’s future growth on routes between Klaipeda and Kiel/Karlshamn.
DFDS continues to modernize and increase its fleet to be prepared for our customers’ future needs and demands. Today, DFDS signed a contract for the delivery of two large ro-pax ships from the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China. Ro-pax ships are combined freight and passenger ships, and the 230 metres long vessels will each have a capacity of 4,500 lane metres and will be able to carry 600 pas. The ships will be delivered from the yard during the first and second half of 2021 respectively and are intended for one of our services between Klaipėda and Germany or Sweden.
“The two ships represent a total investment of about DKK 1.75 billion and will be another welcome addition to our newbuilding programme that already counts four large ro-ro vessels, of which the first is expected to join our network in one year’s time. With their 250 passenger cabins and large, comfortable public areas, the ships will offer a new state-of-the-art travel experience for our tourist and driver passengers crossing the Baltic Sea,” says Peder Gellert, EVP and Head of the Shipping Division.
“The large cargo capacity will enable us to support our customers’ future growth in the Baltic region”.
The ships will be equipped with scrubbers and built to the newest, environmental standards offering the lowest possible fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
“I would like to extend a warm thank you to the DFDS team involved for a remarkable – but also very hard – piece of work securing this contract in China. It has been negotiated for a year with many ups and downs in the process,” says Peder Gellert who was in China along with other members of the negotiations team.
DFDS’ new ro-pax vessels:
- Length, overall: 230.00 m
- Length, between perpendiculars: 224.50 m
- Breadth, moulded: 31.00 m
- Breadth, including fenders: 31.60 m
- Draught, summer loadline: 7.00 m
- Passengers: 600
- Crew: 62
- Lanemeter: 4500 for trailers and cars
- Service Speed: 23 kn
- Passenger cabins: 250 pcs
- Passenger berths: 690
- Crew Cabins: 62 pcs
- GT: 54,900
- Stern ramps and internal ramps
- Scrubber
- EEDI compliant
- Ice 1c
The contract was signed on Monday 12 February at 20:58 2018 Chinese time. According to Chinese tradition, this is quite lucky as the figure 8 should bring luck. We certainly hope so.