Austal Limited (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce that Austal Vietnam has delivered Hull 424, the Maria Galanta Express, to Oceanoi Limited of Mauritius.
The 41 metre high-speed catamaran ferry will be operated by Société de Gestion et de Transport Maritime (SGTM) in the Comoros Islands, situated off the southeastern coast of Africa.
Austal was awarded the A$15.5 million (US$10.7 million) contract to design and construct the vessel in January 2020 and construction commenced at the company’s Vietnam shipyard in Vung Tau in March 2020.
Austal Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the delivery was a significant milestone in the company’s newest shipyard.
“This new ship for SGTM, is the second vessel we have delivered out of the Vietnam shipyard and highlights the tremendous productivity and efficiency of the local team, who have effectively delivered two vessels in two years,” said Mr Gregg
“It’s also very pleasing to see another customised variant of our popular, high-speed catamaran ferry design being delivered to yet another new customer, and I offer my warmest congratulations to SGTM Director, Michel Labourdere, on the delivery of his latest addition to their fleet.
“Austal has now delivered over 80 vessels in this key, 40 to 50 metre catamaran ferry market since the early 1990s and we continue to receive great interest in our proven designs.”
The Austal ‘Passenger Express 41’ catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 41.2 metres, beam of 10.9 metres and draft of 2.0 metres. Over two decks, the vessel can accommodate 400 passengers and mixed cargo of up to 20 tonnes, loaded via two ramps.
Fitted with Austal’s renowned Motion Control System (including active interceptors and T-foils), four MTU-12V2000 M72 engines, and four KaMeWa 56A3 waterjets, the new catamaran achieved 31.9 knots at 100% Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR) during sea trials and has a range of approximately 370 nautical miles.
Established in 2004, SGTM is The Comoros’ leading ferry company, operating three passenger ships and two freight transport ships between the islands of Mayotte, Anjouan and Great Comoros, carrying more than 100,000 passengers annually. With the delivery of Maria Galanta Express, SGTM is now operating two Austal built vessels, joining Marine View (Austal Hull 58) acquired from Japan in 2013.
 is pleased to announce that Austal Vietnam has delivered Hull 424, the Maria Galanta Express, to Oceanoi Limited of Mauritius.The 41 metre high-speed catamaran ferry will be operated by Société de Gestion et de Transport Maritime (SGTM) in the Comoros Islands, situated off the southeastern coast of Africa.){kind=link}