Austal awarded €20.5M contract to build 66 metre high-speed catamaran ferry for French Polynesia

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT

11 AUGUST 2021

Austal awarded €20.5M contract to build 66 metre high-speed catamaran ferry for French Polynesia

Austal Limited (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce that Austal Australasia Pty Ltd has been awarded a €20.5 million (approximately A$32.8 million) contract to design and build a 66 metre high-speed catamaran ferry for The Degage Group of French Polynesia.

Work will commence on the new ferry in August 2021 at Austal Vietnam, with a scheduled delivery in the first half of 2023.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the new contract from repeat customer The Degage Group was a strong indication of their satisfaction with Austal’s innovative commercial ferry designs.

“Over the past two decades The Degage Group has trusted Austal to design and construct five ships for their growing maritime and tourism operations in French Polynesia, and we’re delighted they have again chosen Austal to develop their latest high-speed ferry,” Mr Gregg said.

“The Degage Group are an acknowledged leader in commercial maritime transportation and tourism. This contract is a clear demonstration of confidence in our Vietnam shipyard, which recently delivered its second commercial ferry within a period of just two years.

“Our sincere thanks to The Degage Group and especially the team at Aremiti SNC for again showing their trust in us to build them the very latest in high-speed ferry technology, efficiently and cost effectively, to Austal’s highest quality standards.”

The new Austal ‘Passenger Express 66’ catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4 metres, beam of 15.2 metres and draft of 1.8 metres. Over two passenger decks, the vessel can accommodate 574 passengers, with an additional 80 seats available on an external sun deck. Crew accommodation includes 7 two-berth cabins and 2 single-berth cabins. The vessel has four passenger access ramps and can carry up to 16 tonnes of cargo loaded via two cranes.

To be fitted with four diesel engines and four waterjets, as well as Austal’s renowned Motion Control System (including active interceptors and T-foils) and the latest MARINELINK and MARINELINK-Smart programs, the new ferry will have a contracted top speed of 35.8 knots and a range of 360 nautical miles.

Austal has previously designed and built five vessels for The Degage Group, comprising two 69 metre monohull cruise ships (Austal Hulls 172 and 173), a 56 metre vehicle passenger catamaran ferry (Austal Hull 266), an 80 metre vehicle passenger catamaran ferry (Austal Hull 201) and a 49 metre vehicle passenger ferry (Hull 421).

The new ferry will operate as the Apetahi Express, between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora).

Austal’s new Passenger Express 66, a high speed catamaran ferry to be constructed by Austal Vietnam for The Degage Group of French Polynesia. (Image: Austal Limited)

This ASX announcement has been approved and authorised for release by Patrick Gregg, Austal Limited’s Chief Executive Officer.

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