Danish operator orders two electric ferries from Incat amid plans to expand the Tasmanian company
Incat said the order for the two 129-metre, 45-megawatt vessels formed the largest individual export contract for a manufactured good in Tasmania's history.
The cost of the ferries has not be disclosed.
Each ferry will each carry up to 1,483 passengers and 500 cars, and will operate at speeds over of 40 knots across the Kattegat Sea between Jutland and Zealand in Denmark.
Incat founder and chairman Robert Clifford said the order marked "a turning point not just for Incat but the for the global maritime industry".
"This project aligns perfectly with our strategic vision.
"As global demand for sustainable ferries accelerates, our expanded facilities will ensure we're ready to lead the way in both innovation and volume."
Incat plans to expand its production facilities in Hobart's Prince of Wales Bay, as well as build a new facility further up the Derwent River.
It aims to double its production capacity and workforce over the next three years.
The Hobart-based company was established in 1977, and has since become an industry leader in building lightweight catamarans.
More recently, it has branched out into electric passenger ferries.
Incat managing director Craig Clifford, who also serves as the honorary consul for Denmark in Tasmania, said the partnership reflected "a shared commitment to the green transition".
The order follows the launch in May of Incat's latest vessel HSC China Zorrilla — the world's largest electric vehicle.
Launched in May, the ferry — also known as Hull 096 — has the largest electric battery ever installed on a ship, and will run on a roughly 55-kilometre route across the Rio de la Plata for operator Buquebus, between the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in Uruguay.
The ferry has the capacity to carry over 2,000 passengers and is equipped with more than 5,000 battery modules stacked together, weighing a total of 280 tonnes and delivering 43-megawatt hours.
It was described as the "future of sea shipping" by Mr Clifford, and a milestone in the industry's bid to decarbonise.
Electric maritime vessels are dependent on short journeys and ports with adequate charging infrastructure and renewable energy resources.
To address the lack of charging infrastructure globally, Incat is also building a diesel-electric hybrid ferry which will be designed so that it can be retrofitted to become fully electric.
Mr Clifford told ABC Breakfast he anticipated demand for electric ferries to grow.
"There's not the slightest doubt that 1,000 ships are needed in the very near future, electric ships, to replace the fossil fuel ships — no question of that," he said.
"We can do it in Tasmania; it won't be without challenges.
Mr Clifford said the Hobart shipbuilder was uniquely placed to meet demand for large electric ferries compared to other international major shipbuilders due to his team's specialisation in working with aluminium.
"Aluminium and electricity go together because … a lightweight ship takes a lot less power and electricity is in scarce supply at all the ports."
"So, the ship that takes the least electricity will get the orders.
"We should be able to bring out at least four ships a year," Mr Clifford said.
Incat said early-stage construction of the two new ferries would begin in the coming months, and it aimed to deliver them in late 2027.
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