Bob Clifford wants Incat to become world leader in electric ferries
Tassie catamaran pioneer Bob Clifford has vowed to turn Incat green and at least double his workforce in a transition to electric ferry building. SEE THE NEW DESIGN >>
Tasmania
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TASMANIAN catamaran pioneer Bob Clifford has vowed to turn Incat green and at least double his workforce in a transition to electric ferry building.
Mr Clifford will on Thursday make a significant announcement as part of his plan to “revolutionise” his business to produce zero emissions ferries.
The announcement comes in the wake of another electric ferry fact-finding mission overseas.
“Incat Tasmania led the way in the development of the world’s first car-carrying high speed, lightweight catamarans in the 1990s and is set once again to revolutionise the fast ferry market,” Mr Clifford said.
“On my recent overseas trip, I met with some of the world’s largest passenger and vehicle ferry companies many of which are current customers and the appetite for fully electric lightweight ferries was staggering.
“Over the next decade there will be tens of thousands of vessels that will need to be replaced or refitted and Incat is ideally placed to deliver the world’s first high-speed lightweight ships that are fully electric with zero emissions.”
Mr Clifford said he wanted Incat to become a world leader in electric ferries.
“This will mean a doubling if not tripling of our workforce, back up to more than 1500 jobs here at Prince of Wales Bay with a similar increase in contractors and other support services for our operation,” he said.
“We will need more employees and possibly even another yard once we reach capacity here at the current site. We are also going to need the right strategic advice and support to enable us to grow as quickly as we will need to.”
Mr Clifford said Incat’s ferries already produced lower emissions than competitors’ steel vessels.
However an International Maritime Organisation requirement for a 40 per cent global fleet emissions reduction target meant opportunities were arising in electric ferries.
In October Incat announced a deal with Swiss-based technology company ABB to explore the company’s first green hybrid-electric ferry.
In January Mr Clifford flagged a need to expand his company’s Derwent Park operations to cater for an electric ferry future.
The renewed electric pledge is the latest move from Incat as the ship builder continues efforts to maintain its place in the market and expand into the future.
In June last year former Premier Peter Gutwein signed off on a $100m taxpayer-guaranteed loan to help Incat build a 120m catamaran for sale on the world market.
The loan followed a stoush between Mr Clifford and the Liberals over new Bass Strait ferries.
Mr Clifford said the decision to build new Spirit of Tasmania ferries overseas was “a kick in the guts” for the local industry.
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