Austal Confirms Ferry Talks with Trinidad and Tobago

Australian shipbuilder Austal Limited has confirmed that it is in discussions for a ferry order from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The confirmation comes on the back of the announcement by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago that the nation’s cabinet authorised the purchase of a fast ferry from Austal.

The company said that it “looks forward to negotiating and resolving terms for the purchase of this vessel as quickly as possible.”

“In the meantime, this initial announcement will trigger the release of a down payment which will allow design of the vessel to commence and for initial long lead materials to be procured.”

The 94-metre high speed catamaran will be deployed for operation on the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. This vessel is a variant of the two 109-meter high speed catamaran’s currently in production at Austal.

Contract finalisation is not expected for several weeks, the company concluded.