Ulstein promotes X-BOW® for new RoPax designs

Norway’s Ulstein has introduced a new range of RoPax ferries, based on its ‘compact concept’, incorporating its distinctive X-BOW feature for improved seakeeping, reduced speed loss, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and improved passenger comfort. The compact concept, the company said, will increase vessel competitiveness in a design based on a shorter, wider vessel operating more slowly – a  combination that leads to construction cost savings and a lower breakeven during operation.
Many RoPax ferries operate in harsh conditions for which the seakeeping characteristics of the X-BOW are well suited. It should help to avoid the need to slow down in heavy weather, a factor that can disrupt the timetables of conventional RoPax ferries. More than 90 offshore support vessels are now equipped with the X-BOW and have clearly demonstrated superior performance in rough seas.
“Our RoPax vessel designs are optimised according to market needs and will be constructed in series for the volume market,” said Tore Ulstein, the company’s deputy CEO. Ship construction is likely to take place outside Norway, with China a strong possibility. The company has had a presence there for some years, with offices and site teams based in Shanghai and Ningbo.