23 Nov 2011

Austal to deliver ferry for Vale in New Caledonia

6:41 am on 23 November 2011

The Vale mining company in New Caledonia is six months away from getting a 41m high speed aluminium passenger ferry from Australia to transport some of its workers.

The BYM News and Magazine says the high speed catamaran will have a capacity of up to 439 passengers and operate between Noumea and Prony where Vale's nickel plant has been built.

The ship is being built by Austal in Western Australia which says it has already delivered three vessels for use in New Caledonia.

Vale of Brazil has built a nickel plant at Goro at a cost of more than four billion US dollars but its commissioning has been delayed.