In a deal worth more than $100 million, the company has just completed a 109m fast ferry for Denmark, which will be trialled on the Derwent over Easter. When the contract for Express3 was announced in October 2015, Incat staff numbers were about 220.
With the global financial crisis now behind us, ship owners around the world are rapidly ordering new ships
The extra workload has required a steady increase in staff over the past 18 months.
The giant vessel, which can carry 1000 passengers and 400 cars, joins three other Incat-built vessels already ferrying commuters and tourists around Denmark.
It is one of seven being built and delivered by Incat this year.
The company is finishing a second Incat-built commuter ferry for Sydney Harbour and will complete four more Sydney ferries for Transport NSW by September. Other orders are coming from Europe.
“There are three or four other orders in the pipeline we are confident of getting,” he said. “With the global financial crisis now behind us, ship owners around the world are rapidly ordering new ships.”
Mr Clifford said he was also interested in the Bruny Island ferry service, for which the State Government called for expressions of interest last year. A new long-term contract for the service is expected to be announced later this year.
As part of its staff expansion, Incat expects to soon double its apprentice numbers from its current 27 training at the Prince of Wales Bay shipyards.
The Denmark-bound vessel will leave Tasmania the week after Easter. It is now in the final stages of fitout.
The extra workload has required a steady increase in staff over the past 18 months.
