Derwent Valley Gazette

Tasmania’s major shipbuilder, InCat, is to build its next generation of aluminium vessels – electric ferries – at Boyer.

Construction of the first ferries could come as soon as January 2026.  

With the announcement today, Thursday, the advanced shipbuilding proposal is a major boost both for industry and employment in the Derwent Valley, as well as for the 50-year old shipbuilder.

InCat is buying a 12-hectare site, on the New Norfolk side of the paper mill, from the Norske Skog company which owns some 565 ha along the Derwent.

The company plans a 240 x 120 metre production facility, with capacity to construct three large vessels at a time. With that, the expansion into the Derwent Valley will enable Incat to double its current production capacity, and importantly, its workforce.

The company told Gazette editor Mike Kerr that it currently has some 450 employees, and expects its initial hiring for the Boyer operation will involve 50 new jobs. The overall workforce could be increased to as many as 1,000 employees.   

The Boyer jobs will involve construction of the ferries’ aluminium hulls and decks, which will then be floated downstream to the existing Incat shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay, and there completed.  

Incat CEO Stephen Casey said the new site is an exciting prospect for the future.

“New Norfolk is a growing area,” he said, and this expansion “will give Incat the opportunity to provide training and employment opportunities for people across the greater Derwent Valley. We are thrilled with the prospect of employing more Tasmanians.”

He continued: “Incat is leading the industry by building the world’s largest electric ferry, and our goal over the next 5-10 years is to build on that success and produce multiple electric ships for the global market while expanding our workforce.

“The new production facility is vital for us to achieve that,” Mr Casey said.

Incat’s estimate is that the world market for mid-sized electric ferries – which it considers its niche – numbers more than  1,000, including as many as 100 for the Australian market alone.

Incat is one of the few shipyards in the world capable of constructing large, lightweight electric ships to meet that demand, says Incat Chairman Robert Clifford.

“The need for environmentally friendly electric vessels is increasing rapidly and the company needs to be ready to meet demand,” he continued.

In Europe, there will be a need for much larger vessels of up to 170 metres in length with the capacity to carry up to 1000 passengers.

“The purchase of this site marks a new period of significant growth for the company,” Mr Clifford said. 

He told the Gazette in his one-on-one interview that the company had been searching suitable locations along both the Derwent and Tamar for months.

Boyer, he said, furnished core elements: a significant parcel of relatively flat waterside land, as well as the capacity to easily move large ship sections to the existing shipyard. A trained local workforce was a bonus.       

“We’re positioning ourselves as the shipyard of choice for major ferry operators who want to minimise their environmental footprint with vessels of the highest quality,” added Mr Casey.

The Incat announcement has been welcomed by the General Manager of the Norske Skog Boyer Mill, Patrick Dooley, as well as the Derwent Valley Mayor, Michelle Dracoulis.

The Boyer site comprises 565 hectares, with around 10% used for the manufacture of publication paper including newsprint and magazine grades, Mr Dooley said.

“Our vision is to see the site become a major economic hub in Southern Tasmania incorporating new industries such as renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, together with the support businesses that service these industries,” he added.

“Incat’s decision to establish its new facility at Boyer is an important step towards that goal and we wish them every success.

“It will bring employment and economic activity to the growing Derwent Valley Community, and we are pleased to be able to help facilitate this development.”

The Boyer site will be prepared for construction of the new production facility in the coming months, with vessel construction set to begin at the facility in 2026.

Tasmania’s major shipbuilder, InCat, is to build its next generation of aluminium vessels – electric ferries – at Boyer.

In an announcement today, Thursday, the advanced proposal is a major boost both for industry and employment in the Derwent Valley, as well as for the 50-year old shipbuilder.

InCat is buying a 12-hectare site, on the New Norfolk side of the paper mill, from the Norske Skog company which owns some 565 ha beside the Derwent.

The company plans a 240 x 120 metre production facility, with capacity to construct three large vessels at a time. With that, the expansion into the Derwent Valley will enable Incat to double its current production capacity, and importantly, its workforce.

The company told Gazette editor Mike Kerr that it currently has some 450 employees, and expects its initial hiring for the Boyer operation will involve 50 new jobs.

The Boyer jobs will involve construction of the ferries’ aluminium hulls and decks, which will then be floated downstream to the existing Incat shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay, and there completed.

Incat CEO Stephen Casey says that the new site is an exciting prospect for the future.

“New Norfolk is a growing area,” he said, and this expansion “will give Incat the opportunity to provide training and employment opportunities for people across the greater Derwent Valley. We are thrilled with the prospect of employing more Tasmanians.

He continued: “Incat is leading the industry by building the world’s largest electric ferry, and our goal over the next 5-10 years is to build on that success and produce multiple electric ships for the global market while expanding our workforce.

“The new production facility is vital for us to achieve that,” Mr Casey said.

Incat’s estimate is that the world market for mid-sized electric ferries – which it considers its niche – numbers more than a 1,000, including as many as 100 for the Australian market alone.

“We have the vision and shipbuilding expertise to lead the world in the design and construction of these new eco-friendly electric ships,” continued Mr Casey.

“We’re positioning ourselves as the shipyard of choice for major ferry operators who want to minimise their environmental footprint with vessels of the highest quality.” 

“The new site will allow us to construct hulls and decks for our vessels at Boyer, and then transport the structure down the River Derwent to our existing Prince of Wales Bay shipyard to be completed.

This will streamline our vessel construction process and enhance our ability to produce multiple ships per year for the market.”

Incat Tasmania’s expansion plans have taken a major step forward with the Tasmanian shipbuilder acquiring a portion of the Norske Skog Boyer Mill site at Boyer.

The acquisition of the 12-hectare site in the Derwent Valley, located northwest of Hobart, will allow Incat to double its current shipbuilding capacity and workforce.  

The expansion plan for the site includes the construction of a

“Incat Chairman Robert Clifford says the maritime industry’s need for environmentally friendly electric vessels is increasing rapidly and the shipbuilder needs to be ready to meet demand.

“Incat has been at the forefront of maritime innovation for more than four decades and the purchase of this site marks a new period of significant growth for the company,” Mr Clifford said. 

“I predict more than 1000 new sustainable ships will be needed to satisfy the global market over the next decade. Domestically there will be a need for more vessels in locations such as Sydney Harbour,

In Europe there will be a need for much larger vessels of up to 170 metres in length with the capacity to carry up to 1000 passengers. Incat is one of the few shipyards in the world capable of constructing large, lightweight, electric ships to meet that demand.”

General Manager of the Norske Skog Boyer Mill, Patrick Dooley, welcomed the announcement.

“The Boyer site comprises some 565 hectares, with around 10% used for the manufacture of publication paper including newsprint and magazine grades,” Mr Dooley said.

“Our vision is to see the site become a major economic hub in Southern Tasmania incorporating new industries such as renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, together with the support businesses that service these industries.  Incat’s decision to establish its new facility at Boyer is an important step towards that goal and we wish them every success.”

“It will bring employment and economic activity to the growing Derwent Valley Community, and we are pleased to be able to help facilitate this development.”

The Boyer site will be prepared for construction of the new production facility in the coming months, with vessel construction set to begin at the facility in 2026.

It’s about size.

Bob Clifford clambers over and under the four decks of this all-electric ferry as fluidly as the clusters of tradies and techs who bring life to vast expanses of aluminium plate here at Incat’s Hobart shipyard.

He may be 80 now, with ten years elapsed since he moved from a CEO role to that of Chairman, but he remains deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of this place and the ships it builds.

Over the day, he’ll likely make two circuits of this passenger-car vessel, a $US 150 million ferry that will carry 270 vehicles and more than 2000 passengers on voyages out of Buenos Aires.

She’s the largest lightweight battery electric ship so far constructed in the world, with an energy storage system of over 40MWh, four times larger than any comparable vessel.

environment.  for delivery to its South American customer, Buquebus.

This ship, the world’s largest battery-electric Ro-Pax ferry, will be 100% battery electric.  

Below the wheelhouse we’re standing in is a chunk of space devoted to passenger comforts and duty free, with a vehicle deck underneath that and lower still, a 400-tonne battery-electric system driving eight water jets needed to shove the massive craft through the waves.

That future is electric ferries, he tells the Gazette, and he sees a world market for more than 1,000 of vessels like this one.

“We could build at least four of them here in Tasmania,” he says quickly. “We’ve got the capacity, the tech and the talent working in aluminium to build superstrong vessels that are world-class.

The decision to add that shipbuilding capacity at Boyer, 30 kilometres upriver from this facility, is being announced by InCat this week.

Three new production sheds are proposed on the water’s edge on the New Norfolk side of the paper plant.

They’ll open to the southern side, onto the Derwent, so that completed hulls can be sailed the 30 kilometres downstream to the Incat sheds at Prince of Wales Bay for installation of its innards.

“We can add a little more capacity here, but essentially, we’ve run out of room,” he says, indicating the sloped limits of the PoW site.

He notes the vessel beneath our feet is 27 metres in width and 130 metres long, as large a vessel as can be accommodated in the largest of inCat’s current construction sheds.

“What I’ve been looking for, and found at Boyer, is a very specific combination: it’s a gentle slope to the water, and enough depth so we can float the hull downriver and pass underneath the two bridges. You can’t move 2,000 tonnes by road.”

“We’ve got to be ready for what’s coming, initially Europe and South America. While Australia is currently behind the curve, within a short space of time Sydney Harbour is going to need 50 and probably the Barrier Reef too.”

Clifford is talking about electric ferries able to travel about 160 kilometres, well within current technological capabilities. “That suits us very well in terms of the size of vessel we specialize in, sets up a huge market for us.”

He’s referring to the Bowen and new Bridgewater Bridge, both of which have 16.2 metres of headroom. “With Boyer, we’ve found that sweet spot,” he adds.

And with New Norfolk now in the mix, Incat will have access to a skilled workforce, the tradespeople able to deliver the ferries it wants to build, with about half the work on the hull and decks done at Boyer, and the remainder, engines and batteries at the current site.

And Robert Clifford wants to stress: “These a long-term, high quality jobs, jobs for life,” he says. It’s an old-school concept, but that’s the place he comes from.

And Incat is already talking with potential customers. “They want their next generation vessels to be green, to be electric,” continues the company chair.

Clifford points out that the battery charging infrastructure needed at most ports is yet to be built, but the lag time provides a window for shipbuilders to get to work on the vessels themselves.

“Dover is going to need about 100 megawatts,” he says. “It currently has 8.”

As he has for much of the half-century he’s been building ferries, Bob Clifford talks knowledgeably, even fondly, about aluminium as the core fabric of his vessels. From cross-beams to composites, stairs to shaped hulls, he attributes much to aluminium’s myriad properties.

It’s the reason for the company’s longevity and success.

“Aluminium is less than half the weight of steel, which means faster speeds from smaller engines, lower operating costs and quicker turnarounds,” he says.

“And the shift to electric engines moves the dial further in that direction, the way we’re already travelling,” he told the Gazette.

EMBARGOED UNTIL 1.30PM THURSDAY 29TH AUGUST

Incat to Double Capacity with New Site and Shipbuilding Facility

Incat Tasmania’s expansion plans have taken a major step forward with the Tasmanian shipbuilder acquiring a portion of the Norske Skog Boyer Mill site at Boyer.

The acquisition of the 12-hectare site in the Derwent Valley, located northwest of Hobart, will allow Incat to double its current shipbuilding capacity and workforce.  

The expansion plan for the site includes the construction of a 240 x 120 metre production facility, with capacity to construct three large ships at one time.

Incat CEO Stephen Casey says the new site is an exciting prospect for the future of the Tasmanian shipbuilder.

“Incat is leading the industry by building the world’s largest electric ferry, and our goal over the next 5-10 years is to build on that success and produce multiple electric ships for the global market while expanding our workforce. The new production facility is vital for us to achieve that,” Mr Casey said.

“The new site will allow us to construct hulls and decks for our vessels at Boyer, and then transport the structure down the River Derwent to our existing Prince of Wales Bay shipyard to be completed. This will streamline our vessel construction process and enhance our ability to produce multiple ships per year for the market.”

“Incat has the vision and the shipbuilding expertise to lead the world in the design and construction of these new eco-friendly electric ships, and we are positioning ourselves as the shipyard of choice for major ferry operators who want to minimise their environmental footprint with vessels of the highest quality.”

“New Norfolk is a growing area, and this will give Incat the opportunity to provide training and employment opportunities for people across the greater Derwent Valley. We are thrilled with the prospect of employing more Tasmanians.”

Incat Chairman Robert Clifford says the maritime industry’s need for environmentally friendly electric vessels is increasing rapidly and the shipbuilder needs to be ready to meet demand.

“Incat has been at the forefront of maritime innovation for more than four decades and the purchase of this site marks a new period of significant growth for the company,” Mr Clifford said. 

“I predict more than 1000 new sustainable ships will be needed to satisfy the global market over the next decade. Domestically there will be a need for more vessels in locations such as Sydney Harbour, and in Europe there will be a need for much larger vessels of up to 170 metres in length with the capacity to carry up to 1000 passengers. Incat is one of the few shipyards in the world capable of constructing large, lightweight, electric ships to meet that demand.”

General Manager of the Norske Skog Boyer Mill, Patrick Dooley, welcomed the announcement.

“The Boyer site comprises some 565 hectares, with around 10% used for the manufacture of publication paper including newsprint and magazine grades,” Mr Dooley said.

“Our vision is to see the site become a major economic hub in Southern Tasmania incorporating new industries such as renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, together with the support businesses that service these industries.  Incat’s decision to establish its new facility at Boyer is an important step towards that goal and we wish them every success.”

“It will bring employment and economic activity to the growing Derwent Valley Community, and we are pleased to be able to help facilitate this development.”

The Boyer site will be prepared for construction of the new production facility in the coming months, with vessel construction set to begin at the facility in 2026.

It’s about size.

Currentlly building a fast passenger-car ferry for the River Platte, a $US 150 milion job ttha will carry 270 vehicles and more than 2000 pasenggers per voyage.

A huge chunk of its space, per the client, is devoted to duty free shoipping, and an the ne3cessary cabinetry and counters are currently being fabricted at InCat.

Below its four decks eight massive water jets will power the masswive craft thrugh the 60 kilometres between Uruguay and Argentina.

At 27 metres in width, this is as large a vessel as can be accommodated in the largest of inCat’s construction sheds which measures 40 metres by 250 megtres.

Clifford, now 80, walks through t his vessel multiple times a day, clambering around its decks and construction walkways and gangplanks f like the as easily as the teams of electricians and plumbers, fitters and painters, technicians that occupy the innards of the vessel.

The wheel house sits right under the roof of the shed, (and the roof has already been raised once) further evidnece tthat these few heactares below the Bowen Bridge are just too small for inCat’s to accommodate what Clifford sees as an much-expanded future.

That future is electric ferries, he tells the Gazette, and he sees a world market for more than 1,000 of these g mid-sized vessels.

“We wc could build at least four of them here in Tasmania,” he says quickly. We’re got the tgecynology the capacity, the tech, the talent working in aluminium, to build fast lightweight superstrong vessels that are world-class.

Robert Clifford wnts to stress: This is a job for life, he says. It’s old-school, but he comes from that place.

The site of the proposed expansion is a large industrial block on the upstream side of the Boyer, and represents the next in a successive subdivision of the plant site as it looks to diversify, to better utilise the large holding

Sheds will open to the southern side, onto the river, and so that completed hulls can be sailed the 30 kilometres downstream to the InCat waterside property at Derwent Park for installation of its innards.

We have run out of room here, he says, indicating the limits of the Derwent Park site. We can add some more capacity here, but there are limitations, not the least of which is What I’ve been looking for, and found at Boyer, is a very specific combination of waterside land with a gentle slope, where the water depth enables us to easily float the craft downriver and pass underneath the two bridges that cross the Derwent.

And then there’s access to a skilled workforce.

With Boyer, we’ve got found that sweet spot.

He envisages a multi-shed operation about the size of Derwent Park, with output of about some four ferries a year. We’ve got to be ready for what’s coming… in Australia, we’re starting behind Europe and South America. Within a short space of time, he sees markets opening up just to the north: Sydney Harbour is going to need 50 mid-size electric ferries, and maybe another 50 at Barrier Reef, he says. Then there’s the English Channel run… this is not a dream.

We are the people to deliver them.

The kind of market he’s talking about needs electric ferries able to travel about 160 kilometres, well within current technological capabilities. That suits us very well in terms of the size of vessel we specialize in, creates a huge market for us.

Clifford said he was already talking with potential customers. They want their next generation vessels to be green, to be electric, he says. He points out that the charging infrastructure needed for in most at most ports, even Dover, is yet to be built but the lag time will provides a window to get to work on the vessels themselves.

He addresses the Bass Strait ferries issue. We took some heat for what we u built there, but ended up selling nine of that size ferry, he says. We set the standard.

Clifford talks knowledgeably about building in Aluminium as oppsosed to steel, which was the core material in his earliest ger free ferries plying the Derwent.

Aluminium is less than half the weight, which means faster speeds from smaller engines, quicker turnarounds and thus lower operating costs.

The shift to electric engines (as opposed diesel)moves the dial further in that direction.

Practicalities of this site. It’s on a side of a hill, and while we can expand a little from the 450 employees we now have, there’s not eno0ugh space to meet the demand that’s coming for electric ferries.

We’ve done the sums, and we believe we can aaaabuild four mid-szie ferries for the world market right here. But to do that, we’re going to bring on more workers, on an expanded factory floor. And that means additional location.

We’ve been looking, up and down the Derwent. It has to be waterside… you can’t moved 2,000 tonnes by road. And we found wahat we wanted at Boyer, right slope, land to water.

We even looked at Victoria, but I’m reall not interrested outside of Tasmania.

Beyond that element – a manageable slope between land and water, there’s the consideration of two bridges, at Bridgewater and the Bowen bridges, enough water under the keels and 16.2 metres overhead. That’s good for us.

Looking for plumbing, electricians and he emphases, this is a job for life. A quality job.

Roughly half the work, the formation of the hull, would be done at Boyer, and the remainder, superstructure and engines and batteries would be done at Derwent Park.