Construction start of Tanzanian lake ferry
The RoPax ferry design developed with FORAN (Source: Sener)
A keel-laying ceremony was recently held in the Tanzanian port of Mwanza to mark the start of construction of a RoRo passenger ferry for Tanzania operator Marine Service Company. Designed by Spain’s Sener and South Korea’s GAS Entec, the vessel will cost US$38.5 million.
The new ferry will have a length overall of 92.6m, a moulded beam of 17m, a design draught of 3.75 metres, a service speed of 14 knots, as well as a capacity for 1,200 passengers and up to 98 lane metres for vehicles and other freight. To allow the passage of vehicles and the storage of cargo, the Sener design, developed by its CAM/CAD/CAE software FORAN, includes one aft ramp door for vehicles, and another smaller ramp door in starboard side for palletised cargo. Under the deal, GAS Entec is teaming up with the the Tanzania Electrical,Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency (TEMESA) and the Tanzania People's Defence Forces National Service economic wing, Suma JKT, to build the ferry and commission it within two years. Delivery of the ferry is scheduled for the end of 2021.
It will operate between Mwanza and Bukoba, another Tanzanian port in Lake Victoria. The new ferry will be among the largest vessels on the African Great Lakes, and sail on Lake Victoria linking ports in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The parts for the ship are to be built in South Korea and transported to Mwanza, where the ferry will be assembled.
