FSG ‘relaunched’ with steel-cutting ceremony
Off to a new start in Flensburg: the steel-cutting of the RoRo ferry for Australia's SeaRoad marks the resumption of work at the north German shipyard
(Source: Heinrich Rönner Group)
The end-of-March steel-cutting ceremony at FSG Shipyard, formerly Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, for an Australian RoRo ferry was in marked contrast to the situation last December. Following an insolvency filing in the last month of 2024, the shipyard group has been restructured, enabling work on RoRo to go ahead for Australian shipping company, SeaRoad.
FSG chief executive, Thorsten Rönner, and shipowner representative, Tony Johnson, technical marine manager, jointly gave the signal for the first steel to be cut in Project 784. It was symbolic not only for the RoRo ferry, but also for the shipyard as it formally resumes its shipbuilding activities that have continued for more than 150 years.
The 210m-long RoRo will be deployed by SeaRoad in the challenging waters of the Bass Strait between the Tasmanian island port of Devonport, and Melbourne, on the Australian mainland. The EUR 100 million vessel will have 3,722 lane metres for trailers and freight, capacity for more than 100 cars, and will be capable of shipping heavy cargo units weighing up to 100 tonnes.
The 11,970-dwt RoRo will have two 10.3-MW engines, a speed of 22.5 knots and 25 cabins. It is due for delivery in the third quarter of 2026.
