Lithuanian yard delivers ferry hull

JSC Vakaru Laivu Statykla, of Western Shipyard in Klaipeda, Lithuania, recently completed the building of a passenger and car ferry hull. The hull, measuring 106 m long and 17.2 m wide, was subcontracted by the Norwegian shipbuilder Fiskerstrand Verft AS at a cost of 3.5 million Euros. About 200 workers were involved on this contract over a period of almost seven months and 1,350 tonnes of steel was used. The 106.20 metre long hull will now be towed to Fiskerstrand for final outfitting and is scheduled for delivery to Sogn og Fjordane AS in March.

The ferry is a type MM 105FE, a Multi Maritime AS design and concept, developed in close collaboration with Fiskerstrand Verft and the ship owner and will have a carrying capacity for 389 passengers and 118 cars. According to the Director General of Western Shipyard Arnoldas Sileika, with this project the company finished one of the development stages of shipbuilding business. He said “After acquiring the particularities of ship hull building we will continue moving into ferry building market of finished ferries together with our partners, the Norwegian shipbuilding yard Fiskerstrand Verft AS.” Controlling interest of Western Shipyard comprising of 19 companies owned by the Estonian concern BLRT Grupp.