The ceremony took place at the Austal Philippines shipyard in Balamban, marking the first construction step towards delivering the 130-metre-long high-speed ferry to her Swedish owners at Gotland Company in mid-2028.

Hull fabrication is expected to begin in H1 2026. "The ferry will be constructed using lightweight 'green aluminium,' manufactured through energy-efficient processes to support reduced embodied carbon [...]," Austal underscored in a press brief.

Once deployed, Horizon X will be able to transport up to 1,500 passengers between the island of Gotland and Sweden's mainland, plus some 400 vehicles.

"We are delighted to be building Horizon X, a world-leading hydrogen-ready high-speed ferry - and the largest we have ever built - at Austal Philippines. This vessel’s innovative multi-fuel design - including a unique combined cycle propulsion system integrating gas and steam turbines, driven by waste heat recovery - will help redefine efficiency and sustainability in the ferry sector," highlighted Paddy Gregg, Austal's CEO.

He furthered, "There is no single solution that fits every operator or route. Long-term success in decarbonisation will come from flexible fuel and technology solutions that allow operators to adapt as alternative fuels mature and infrastructure develops. Horizon X has been designed with that flexibility at its core."

His counterpart at Gotland Company, Björn Nilsson, also commented, "We are pleased to see construction underway and to celebrate this moment alongside Austal and the skilled shipbuilders here in Balamban. This vessel represents a key investment in our future capability, combining speed, capacity and sustainability, and we look forward to working closely with Austal throughout the build."

Photo: Austal