HSC Express 4

HSC Express 4 at Austal, September 2018
History
NameExpress 4
OwnerMolslinjen
OperatorMolslinjen
Port of registryAarhus,  Denmark
BuilderAustal, Perth, Western Australia
Costc. A$100 million (2016)
Yard number393
Laid down2017
LaunchedOctober 2018[1]
CompletedLate 2018 (scheduled)
Acquired30 January 2019[2]
Maiden voyage14 March 2019
Identification
StatusIn Service
General characteristics
Class and typeRoPax
Tonnage10,500 GT
Length109 m (358 ft)
Beam30.9 m (101 ft)
Draft3.4 m (11 ft)
Decks2
Ramps1
Installed power4 x MAN 20V28/33D, 9.1 MW each 4x Scania generators
Propulsion4 x Wartsila Waterjets
Speed47.8 kn (55.0 mph)
Capacity1,006 passenger, 425 cars
Crew22
Notes2 car decks

Express 4 is a high speed catamaran built by Austal for Molslinjen.

History

Molslinjen ordered Express 4 in June 2016, at a cost of about A$100 million.[3] In April 2017, construction began at Austal's Henderson shipyard with the ceremonial first aluminum cutting.[4] In August 2018, the ship was launched, with fitting out and sea trials scheduled to be completed by the end of the year ahead of entry into service in early 2019.[5]

Express 4 left the construction hall on 27 August 2018 and was launched in October.[6] Since being delivered, she has operated between Aarhus and Odden, Denmark.[3]

Design

Express 4 measures 109 metres (358 ft) long, with a beam of 30.5 metres (100 ft) and a draft of 3.4 metres (11 ft).[3] She can carry up to 1,006 passengers and 22 crew, and has two vehicle decks with space for 425 cars and an additional 610 lane meters for freight vehicles.[3] She is powered by four 20-cylinder MAN engines producing 9,100kw at 1,000rpm that drive 4 Wartsila Waterjets via a reduction gearbox, giving her a service speed of 40 knots (46 mph) and a maximum speed of 47.8 knots (55.0 mph).[3]

References

  1. ^ "Austal Successfully Launches 109M High Speed Catamaran for Molslinjen of Denmark". 29 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Austal Delivers A$109 Million Ferry for Molslinjen of Denmark". 30 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Express 4 High-Speed Catamaran Ferry". Ship Technology. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Austal Starts Building High-speed Ferry for Denmark". Marine Link. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Austal Unveils Molslinjen's New High-Speed Ferry". World Maritime News. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  6. ^ "$100 million catamaran rolls out of Perth shipyard". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

Media related to Express 4 (ship, 2018) at Wikimedia Commons