On August 2, Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), held a christening and launch ceremony for a new, environmentally-friendly ferry being built for Hankyu Ferry.
The newbuild, named Settsu, will replace the older ship Yamato, one of four large ferries operated by the company.
Following the completion of rigging work, the Settsu is expected to be handed over to its owner in February 2020.
It will go into service on Hankyu Ferry’s regular route between Shinmoji and Kobe.
Featuring a length of 195 meters and a width of 29.6 meters, the new ferry has a gross tonnage of around 16,300 tons. In addition, it has a capacity of 663 passengers, approximately 277 trucks and 188 passenger cars.
As explained, an increase in energy efficiency of about 6% has been achieved compared to earlier vessels, due mainly to the adoption of a new, optimal hull type.
Settsu is also outfitted with an exhaust gas cleaning system to control airborne emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx) in order to satisfy new regulations slated to go into effect in all marine areas from 2020.