Melbourne-headquartered logistics provider Toll Group, part of Japan Post, has placed a AUD 170 million (USD 130 million) order at China’s CSC Jinling Shipyard, part of Sinotrans & CSC, for the construction of two 12,000 dwt RoRo ships to support trade between Victoria, Australia, and Tasmania.
The new vessels will be available in late 2018 and will replace Toll’s existing ships, continuing to operate overnight services, six days per week.
The new, purpose-built ships, operating between Burnie, Tasmania and Melbourne, Victoria, will provide 40 per cent more freight capacity, more opportunities to transport refrigerated freight for Tasmania’s growing chilled export market and more flexibility for customer deliveries, Toll said.
Toll has worked with the Port of Melbourne to secure an additional seven hectares of land in order to provide the land side infrastructure to support the increased freight capacity of the new ships.