On June 4, Crist S.A. will deliver a fully equipped, hybrid passenger-car ferry to the Icelandic shipowner Vegagerðin. The unit will handle demanding courses between the islands of the Westman archipelago in Iceland.
The NB 70 "Herjólfur" ferry will serve the route between Landeyjahöfn and Vestmannaeyjar - islands located in the Westman archipelago, located 9 kilometers from the south of Iceland. Vestmannaeyjar is known as a charming, volcanic place of excursions and from the famous picture of a lonely house near the cliff.
The travel time on this route will be only 20 minutes. It will be possible thanks to the parameters and equipment of the unit ensuring high maneuverability and an efficient drive system. The ship is equipped with a hybrid main propulsion system.
The modern design of the NB 70 allows it to operate in very difficult marine conditions - the southern waters of Iceland are dominated by long ocean waves and short local waves caused by the wind. In winter, weather conditions include low temperatures and heavy rains, however, they do not pose a challenge for the ferry built at CRIST.
- After "Elektra" for the shipowner from Finland and participation in the project "Color Hybrid" for Norwegians, it is another hybrid ferry that was created in our shipyard. We hope to maintain this trend in the future and strengthen our position on the European market as a manufacturer of innovative passenger ferries - sums up Tomasz Wrzask, PR Manager Crist S.A.
The ferry will be operated by a crew of 10, it will also accommodate 390 passengers in the winter season, to 540 passengers in the summer season. The difference is due to the outside terrace, which is usually impossible to use in winter.
The deadline for the final transfer of the unit has already been postponed due to the differences between the shipyard CRIST and Vegagerðin regarding the final settlement of the ferry:
- We are providing a fully equipped unit with a hybrid drive that is larger and better equipped than the originally ordered ferry. We are pleased that despite the initial differences about the price of the unit, both sides have reached a final, compromise agreement that satisfies both CRIST and Vegagerðin - says Wrzask.
All project work, from classification documentation to working documentation, was established in Poland and is the contractual responsibility of CRIST S.A. The ordering party is Vegagerðin - the Icelandic Road Transport Authority. It manages nearly 13,000 km of Iceland's national roads. Among the typical tasks of the office, such as planning, designing and road maintenance, Vegagerðin also supervises companies providing ferry transport services.