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A Fremantle Highway car ferry that was badly damaged in a 2023 fire has decided not to scrap it, but to rebuild it for reuse. It is now being sent to China, where it is planned to be converted into a new transport ship. The Maritime Executive writes about it.
This case demonstrates a creative approach to the circular economy – instead of scrapping, the ship gets a new lease of life through rebuilding.
In July 2023, the Fremantle Highway caught fire while transporting 3800 cars from Germany, including electric cars. One crew member died, the rest survived.
The fire lasted a week. When the fire was extinguished, the ship was taken to Emsfachen and then to Rotterdam.
Insurance companies declared the ship a total loss.
However, Koole Contractors from the Netherlands bought it for a nominal sum.
Examination confirmed that the equipment was intact and that the fire had seriously damaged only the upper decks. The vessel spent 10 months at a shipyard in Rotterdam, where fire-damaged sections of its structure were dismantled.
Specialists from brokerage firm Friday & Company and heavy transport Boskalis organized the transportation of the ship to China on the Boka Vanguard vessel, which is capable of transporting large cargoes. This transportation will last 55 days, with a stopover in Singapore.
After arriving in China, the Fremantle Highway will be rebuilt as a new road carrier named Floor and put into service by 2025.
