The Swedish shipping company and the Australian shipbuilder are proceeding with their work on the former's high-speed catamaran, Horizon X (earlier known as Gotland Hydrocat).

Should Gotland Company make the final investment decision, the 1,450-passenger-room newbuild could be sailing in 2027 (the initial date for entering traffic was 2030).

When originally revealed in October 2022, Gotland Hydrocat was to feature a multi-green fuel engine (with hydrogen as the preferred bunker). The 35 knot-max speed vessel was said to offer room for 1,600 passengers, plus space for 450 cars.

During the spring of 2023, Gotland Company's subsidiary Gotland Tech Development worked with Austal on decreasing the catamaran's energy demand, among other things, by means of an energy-efficient hull and optimising weight. The vessel's gas turbines will work in a combined cycle in the powertrain, too.

Christer Bruzelius, Gotland Tech Development's CEO, commented:

Designing Gotland Company's new catamaran has been intensive, and we have further developed our vision together with potential suppliers. We have worked to optimise the ship to reach the best balance between output, carrying capacity and speed. We made a few minor adjustments, but in general, our plans hold, which is a statement of strength. There is always a risk when one sets oneself at the very forefront of development.

Håkan Johansson, CEO of Gotland Company, underlined:

We are working flat-out to offer an attractive and winning bid to gain continued confidence in serving the contracted traffic between Gotland and the [Swedish] mainland [in 2027-2035]. We are confident that a high-speed catamaran will supplement the traffic [currently with three ferries] in a very positive way. We first want to win the tender, though even if we don't do that, a catamaran will nevertheless play a relevant role for us and Gotland's traffic. To serve Gotland and the mainland lies in our DNA, and we plan to continue doing it.

Photo: Gotland Company