Hong Kong’s Cheoy Lee shipyard has been contracted to build nine high-speed passenger ferries under the Hong Kong Government’s Vessel Subsidy Scheme (VSS) to replace a number of existing ferries connecting central Hong Kong with the outlying islands of Lamma, Peng Chau, and Hei Ling Chau.
Each of the IMO Tier III diesel-propelled vessels will measure between 35m and 40m in length and eight will be of carbon fibre composite construction, while one will be all-aluminium.
In addition, two will be propelled by a combination diesel/electric hybrid propulsion system as part of a trial programme to enable them to operate in a zero-emission mode during manoeuvring. All nine will be fitted with 102m2 of solar panels and battery banks to capture solar energy for onboard electricity consumption.
Report by Jim Shaw
