Australia’s newest and biggest cargo ship was named ‘Tasmanian Achiever II’, on February 17. The ship is expected to start operations on 1 March, carrying goods between the Port of Melbourne and the Tasmanian Port of Burnie.
The 210-metre vessel is the first of two new ships commissioned by Toll to transport freight between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, increasing Toll’s Bass Strait cargo capacity by more than 40% on each voyage. This increased capacity aims to ensure that Tasmania’s producers and manufacturers have more reliable access to mainland and international markets on a daily basis.
Steve Borg, Toll’s Executive General Manager, Tasmania and Shipping, stated:
As the country’s largest private investment in coastal trading in 25 years, this is a major milestone for Australian shipping with Tasmanian Achiever II providing capacity to meet anticipated demand for the next two decades
What is more, the ship will also produce less emissions, as its built to comply with strict standards on sulphur emissions, In order to achieve that, ‘Tasmanian Achiever II’ will use scrubbers.
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Furthermore, Toll has invested $311 million in enhancing the Bass Strait trade link, including $35 million to upgrade wharf facilities at the Port of Burnie. In the port, the new ships will connect to the local power grid, not needing to generate power from its diesel engines.
In addition, a new wharf management system and customer booking software aspires to improve terminal operational procedures to limit traffic congestion and ensure better freight tracking and monitoring of refrigerated cargo.
The new ship will make the 396 km Bass Strait crossing between Melbourne and Burnie in 13 hours, an hour faster than its predecessor. The time saved will be used in port to facilitate the loading and unloading of additional cargo at the same time.
