Rajan Wilcox
The Spirit of Tasmania is a ferry service owned by the Tasmanian government that provides transportation between mainland Australia and Tasmania. The service has been in operation since 1993, with the current fleet consisting of two Finnish-built vessels: the Spirit of Tasmania I and the Spirit of Tasmania II. The ships are powered by four diesel engines, each producing 10,305 kW of power, and can reach speeds of up to 28.5 knots. While fuel consumption data is not readily available, it is known that the Spirit of Tasmania was once forced out of action due to fuel contamination. The upcoming Spirit of Tasmania IV and V will feature more efficient dual-fuel engines capable of running on LNG and diesel.
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What You'll Learn
The Spirit of Tasmania ferries use LNG and diesel fuel
The Spirit of Tasmania is a ferry service that has been operating between mainland Australia and Tasmania since 1993, covering a distance of 242 nautical miles (448 km; 278 mi) between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania. The TT-Line Company's fleet currently includes two Finnish-built vessels: MS Spirit of Tasmania I and MS Spirit of Tasmania II.
The upcoming vessels, Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V, will be powered by LNG and diesel fuel. Each ship will have four Wartsila 9-cylinder turbocharged dual-fuel engines, capable of producing 10,305 kW of power each. The new ships will offer increased vehicle lane capacity and enhanced passenger capacity, with 301 new cabins, 118 standard recliners, and 47 business recliners.
The Spirit of Tasmania II, which is currently in operation, was constructed in 1998 and features four Wärtsilä Sulzer 16ZAV40S diesel engines with a power rating of 42,240 kW. The ship has a service speed of 28.5 knots and can accommodate 750 passengers in beds across 222 cabins, in addition to 650 deck passengers.
While the exact fuel consumption of the Spirit of Tasmania ferries is not publicly available, it is worth noting that the Peter Pan, the ship that was replaced by the first Spirit of Tasmania in 1993, had a fuel requirement of 134,000 tons over 1.2 million kilometers.
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The ships have 4 engines, each producing 10,305 kW of power
The upcoming Spirit of Tasmania vessels, Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V, will be equipped with four engines, each capable of producing 10,305 kW of power. This is a significant upgrade in terms of engine power compared to the previous ships in the fleet, Spirit of Tasmania I, II, and III.
The new ships will offer increased vehicle lane capacity, with 4,098 lane metres for vehicles, a notable increase from the current capacity of 1,675 lane metres. This enhancement is made possible by the increased power and efficiency of the new engines.
The four engines on the Spirit of Tasmania IV and V are Wartsila 9-cylinder turbocharge dual-fuel engines, capable of running on LNG and diesel. This dual-fuel capability provides flexibility and allows for a reduction in emissions, as LNG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to traditional marine diesel.
Each of the four engines contributes significantly to the overall power output of the ship, enabling it to maintain an average operational speed of 26 knots, equivalent to approximately 48.2 km/h. This speed is slightly lower than that of the previous ships, which could reach speeds of over 27 knots, but the new vessels prioritize capacity and efficiency over speed.
The new ships will also offer improved passenger accommodations, with 301 cabins, 118 standard recliners, and 47 business recliners, ensuring a comfortable journey across Bass Strait for up to 1,800 passengers.
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The ferries cover 448km between Geelong and Devonport
The Spirit of Tasmania ferries, owned by the Tasmanian Government, provide a vital link between Tasmania and mainland Australia. The ferries cover 448km between Geelong and Devonport, navigating the Bass Strait. The journey takes approximately 9 to 11 hours and is usually an overnight crossing.
The Spirit of Tasmania service has been in operation since July 1993, with the first ship, the Spirit of Tasmania I, making its maiden voyage in November 1993. The current fleet includes two Finnish-built vessels: the MS Spirit of Tasmania I and MS Spirit of Tasmania II. These ships were built in 1998 and feature four Wärtsilä Sulzer 16ZAV40S diesel engines, with a power rating of 42,240 kW. The ferries have a service speed of 28.5 knots and can carry up to 1,400 passengers and 500 cars.
The Spirit of Tasmania IV and V are set to join the fleet, offering an enhanced travel experience with increased vehicle lane capacity and modern design. The new ships will have a gross tonnage of 48,000 and be powered by four Wartsila 9-cylinder turbocharge dual-fuel engines, capable of running on LNG and diesel. While the new ferries were expected to enter service in 2024 and 2025, construction delays at Devonport have postponed their debut.
The Spirit of Tasmania ferries have experienced some challenges, including fuel contamination in 1999, which resulted in a two-week hiatus. Despite this setback, the service has proven popular, with the previous Spirit of Tasmania II crossing the Bass Strait 2,849 times and carrying 2.3 million passengers, 807,000 cars, and 185,000 containers.
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Fuel contamination took the ship out of action for 2 weeks in 1999
In September 1999, the Spirit of Tasmania was taken out of action for two weeks due to fuel contamination. The ship had been sailing between Tasmania and the Australian mainland since 1993, covering a distance of 242 nautical miles (448 km; 278 mi) between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania.
The fuel contamination was caused by a foreign oil that contaminated the ship's fuel, resulting in a major mechanical failure. The contaminant was either in the supply before it reached the ship or was introduced to the 50-tonne fuel tank after it was filled, possibly due to human error or sabotage. As a result, all the fuel had to be removed from the Spirit of Tasmania and replaced with high-grade marine diesel to get the ship to Melbourne, where it could rebunker with its usual grade of fuel.
During the two-week repair period, TT-Line, the company operating the Spirit of Tasmania, chartered the Incat 030 HSC Condor 10 from New Zealand to continue providing ferry services. The breakdown and charter of the substitute vessel cost TT-Line about AUD $8.8 million.
It is worth noting that the Spirit of Tasmania had an excellent track record before this incident, having made 2745 round trips between Travemünde and Trelleborg from 1986 to 1993, covering 1.2 million kilometers without any serious breakdowns. The ship required 134,000 tons of fuel for these journeys, carrying 3.5 million passengers, 2.5 million liters of beer, 15 tonnes of salmon, 19 tonnes of beef, 4.2 million rolls, and 1.8 million eggs.
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The ferry service has been operating since July 1993
The ferry service Spirit of Tasmania has been operating since July 1993, when it was known as Peter Pan. In 1993, TT-Line Tasmania replaced the ageing Abel Tasman with another ex-TT-Line ferry. The new ship, Peter Pan, had replaced the former Nils Holgersson on the Travemünde to Trelleborg route in Germany in 1986. On 1 November 1993, operation of the service was transferred from the Tasmanian Department of Transport to TT-Line Pty Ltd, a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Tasmanian Government. On the morning of 1 September 1993, the last passengers disembarked, and the ship was renamed Spirit of Tasmania. The ferry left Germany on 5 October and arrived in Devonport on 12 November. Spirit of Tasmania made her first commercial crossing of Bass Strait on 29 November 1993.
Spirit of Tasmania was floated out of the dry dock on 11 August 1995 and sailed back to Melbourne to recommence her trade. In September 1996, the federal government launched the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme, which subsidised fares to make ferry travel more affordable for passengers and promote economic activity between the regions. In July 1997, Spirit of Tasmania sailed to Sydney for dry docking for the first time.
In September 1999, Spirit of Tasmania was forced out of action for two weeks due to fuel contamination. Over the 1999/2000 summer season, TT-Line again chartered a fast craft while the former Devil Cat Incat 046 was used on the Georgetown-Melbourne route during this peak period for three successive years. In 2002, the Tasmanian Government and TT-Line announced that they would be replacing Devil Cat and Spirit of Tasmania with two Finnish-built monohull ferries, Superfast III and Superfast IV. Both were handed over at the Neorion shipyard on the island of Syros, where they were refitted and repainted.
The new Spirit of Tasmania ships, IV and V, will have a gross tonnage of 48,000 and a deadweight of 6,400 tonnes. Each ship will have four Wartsila 9-cylinder turbocharge dual-fuel engines that can run on LNG and diesel. These engines will produce 10,305 kW of power each, allowing the ships to maintain an average operation speed of 26 knots (equivalent to 48.2 km/h). The new vessels will have a passenger capacity of 1,800, a significant increase from the previous ships.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear how much fuel the Spirit of Tasmania uses. However, the ship covers 448 kilometres (278 miles) between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania, and each journey takes approximately 9 to 11 hours.
The Spirit of Tasmania uses LNG and diesel fuel.
In September 1999, the Spirit of Tasmania was forced out of action for two weeks due to fuel contamination.
