Austal’s Vietnam unit has delivered APT James, the 94m all-aluminium, high-speed catamaran, to the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) of Trinidad and Tobago.
APT James is the first vessel to be fully constructed at the Vung Tau shipyard.
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The vehicle-passenger ferry, called Auto Express 94, was designed at Austal Australia.
It features the company’s signature optimised hull design, raked bow.
It will provide maritime transport services on the ‘sea bridge’ route between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Austal CEO David Singleton said: “This is an outstanding achievement for both Austal Vietnam and the Austal Group as we continue to focus and consolidate our defence and commercial vessel capabilities in strategic locations throughout Australasia.
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By GlobalData“Austal Vietnam is now clearly a valuable asset in our commercial vessel shipbuilding network, building upon and complementing the growing capability in the Philippines while also freeing up capacity in our Australian shipyard for additional defence contracts for the Royal Australian Navy and export markets.”
Austal Auto Express 94 can travel at speeds up to 37.5k and has capacity for 926 passengers and 250 cars.
The ship is equipped with Austal’s ‘smart ship’ technology, including an advanced Motion Control System, which will offer a stable ride for passengers and crew.
Currently, Austal Vietnam is working on the next project, a new 41m-high speed catamaran ferry for SGTM Mauritius. The vessel is due for delivery in the first half of 2021.
