The revolutionary VIKING LifeCraft system has been chosen as the main on board evacuation solution for a new diesel hybrid-electric ferry fleet.
For more than 60 years, KiwiRail ferries have provided a connection for 800,000 annual passengers between New Zealand’s North and South Island. To futureproof the country’s main link across the Cook Strait, KiwiRail is replacing the Interislander fleet with two new purpose-built ships, currently in the advanced design phase at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea.
The LifeCraft™ system comprises four 203-person self-propelled survival craft bringing together the advantages of premium lifeboat, liferaft and evacuation system technology in a revolutionary hybrid solution.
“With four LifeCraft in each system, we save space onboard, deliver superior manoeuvrability, and can evacuate more than 800 people within 30 minutes,” said Niels Fraende, VIKING’s vice president of sales for Cruise & LifeCraft. “The LifeCraft eliminates dangerous lifeboat drills and can also be used to perform search and rescue operations if another vessel in the area requires support, boosting passenger and crew safety in the Cook Strait as a whole.”
After evacuation, each of the systems four craft will take advantage of their all-electric propulsion setup to move into and maintain a safe position while waiting for help to arrive. Powered by four Torqeedo Cruise electric pod drives powered by Power 24-3500 lithium-ion batteries, each craft can use its 360-degree manoeuvrability and acceleration to support SAR operations even in severe weather conditions and high sea states.
The entire pre-departure safety-check has been digitised; instead of taking up the crew’s time and relying on manual processes such as testing combustible fuel engines, the captain or safety officer has the readiness status of the system available at the touch of a button directly from the vessel’s bridge, within just a few moments.
LifeCraft is compact with all system elements from the EscapeWay 4-chute system to the four 203-person capacity inflatable craft stored together in the same unit which can be either placed on deck or built into the side of the vessel.
Bruce McDonald is Technical Authority at the classification organisation Lloyd’s Register and knows a thing or two about the standards of maritime safety. “Advanced hybrid evacuation systems like the LifeCraft are a significant shift in how we think about maritime safety and vessel evacuation, where there has been a longstanding tradition of thinking in boats and rafts in terms of life-saving equipment. This is an innovative and safe alternative that combines existing and new technologies. At the same time, it opens a range of new possibilities in the sector, which we of course always welcome.”
The first new Interislander ferry is expected to assume full scale operation across the Cook Strait in late 2025, with the second ship to follow in 2026.
