Two new ferries will be operating between the North and South Islands of New Zealand from 2029. The design of the “Interislanders” comes from Denmark.
The New Zealand ferry company Ferry Holdings has ordered two new RoPax ferries for use in the Cook Strait. They were designed by the Danish design studio Knud E. Hansen.
The two “Interislander” ferries will be built at the Chinese shipyard Goungzhou Shipyard International (GSI). According to Ferry Holdings, they are scheduled for delivery in 2029. A fixed-price contract of $596 million has been concluded with the shipyard, and the total cost of the state-financed project is expected to be around $2 billion. According to Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Minister for Rail Transport, this will even save costs. “We got rid of expensive consultants who hijacked the project by building more and more infrastructure projects until the Ministry of Finance finally warned that the costs would exceed $4 billion,” he said. The taxpayer would therefore be significantly relieved by the current course of events.
Design from Denmark
In future, they will connect the North and South Islands of New Zealand through the Cook Strait, one of the most turbulent straits in the world, as well as the ecologically sensitive areas of the Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound. Knud E. Hansen developed the initial concept designs, examined the shipyard capacities for Ferry Holdings and provided technical and commercial support during the negotiations. The Danes also want to continue working with the company as the new construction program progresses.
“We are very pleased to support Ferry Holdings in the realization of these pioneering ships,” said Javier Suarez, Managing Director of Knud E. Hansen. “This fleet renewal is a significant investment in the future of shipping in the Cook Strait and we are committed to ensuring that Ferry Holdings receives vessels that meet the highest standards of safety, reliability and performance.”
In September, the office released the design for a new car carrier from Wallenius Marine. “Sleipner” is to offer a high capacity of 2,720 loading meters despite its short length.
