Elon Musk shouts out to Tasmanian ship builders INCAT online

Eccentric billionaire Elon Musk has given a very public shout out to an innovative Tasmanian company on social media, who are hopeful the exchange could lead to an innovative ‘meeting of the minds’.

ONE of the world’s most eccentric billionaires has given a shout out to a Tasmanian company on Twitter – which could lead to an innovative meeting of the minds.

Entrepreneur Elon Musk, founder of Tesla cars and the SpaceX project tweeted at INCAT, a cutting edge shipping company based in Derwent Park, that was responsible for the world’s fastest, gas-turbine powered ship.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Saul Martinez/Getty Images/AFP

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Robert Clifford, founder and chairman of INCAT said they had been liaising with Mr Musk’s company for almost 10 years now on several projects.

“We’ve made several proposals to them, they’ve asked lots of questions about what we can do and what we can’t do,” he said.

Mr Clifford is “hopeful” the small interaction will help firm up work in the future.

“One of our future projects is battery powered ships, and that’s very, very exciting – he can certainly help us with that,” he said.

Robert Clifford founder of INCAT. Elon Musk has given Hobart boat builder INCAT a shout out on Twitter. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“He recognises we have the world’s fastest ship, which was the last one we sent to South America, which was a 57kt ship, it was gas-turbine powered, he’s aware of these things, but two innovative companies sharing information is what it’s all about.”

Mr Clifford said there was an “excellent chance” of the companies working together, especially looking forward to battery powered ships.

“That’s the future. Electric ships are certainly on the agenda,” he said.

Charles Lane is a first-year apprentice wielder and fabricator at INCAT. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

At home, the company survived the COVID-19 pandemic with no impact on its workforce, however due to overseas manufacturing of key parts of its latest ship, there have been delays.

“The one that is closest to launch is going to Trinidad and Tobago, we’re waiting on gearboxes which are being flown out from Germany,” Mr Clifford said.

Mr Clifford said most of the business’s operational problems have been due to outside COVID-19 forces, such as international delivery.

“They’ve been delayed due to the (coronavirus) problems in Europe, they’ve held us up for a month or two, we can see some light at the end of the tunnel – they’re on their way, we believe,” he said.

The 100m ferry – about half the size of a Spirit of Tasmania vessel – is worth more than $100 million and will service the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

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Mr Clifford is confident the ship’s crew will be able to flown to Tasmania to undertake the 10,000 plus nautical mile journey to its final destination.

“When it gets there, typically, if there are any kinks that need to be ironed out, our crew would go out there,” he said.

INCAT will also be delivering ships to Korea, Spain and South America in the near future.