Incat Crowther, Kangnam to Build 80-Metre High-Speed Ro-Pax Cat for Korea

Sung Man Hwang, CEO of Korea Express Ferry, has signed off on an 80-metre high-speed Ro-Pax catamaran with Incat Crowther and South Korea's Kangnam Corporation, replacing aging tonnage on the Incheon to Ongjin County routes with a vessel that concentrates 15,360 kilowatts of diesel power into a 19-metre-beam aluminium hull.

That number has a useful benchmark. The world's fastest passenger ferry in commercial service, the 99-metre HSC Francisco, achieves 58.1 knots on gas turbines. This vessel achieves 45 knots at 20 metres shorter on six diesel engines, and that gap is the design's deliberate statement: efficiency and operational redundancy on tight island-economy schedules, not sprint performance. The six engines are six MTU 16V4000M65L IMO2 units, each rated at 2,560kW at 1,800rpm and driving six waterjets. Service speed sits at 36 knots with the 45-knot ceiling available when conditions and scheduling demand it.

Dan Mace, Technical Manager at Incat Crowther, cited the off-the-shelf waterjet and gearbox pairing explicitly: "The new vessel will feature a six-engine drivetrain using MTU M05 series engines, paired with standard waterjets and gearboxes to simplify installation and maintenance." Mace also noted that the hull geometry incorporates a wide turning circle to accommodate vehicle loading and unloading at the island terminals, which the ferry will reach via a bespoke stern ramp for vehicles and twin pedestrian boarding ramps designed for step-free access.

The car deck fits 60 standard vehicles or 50 utility trucks. Passenger capacity is 572, with a 12-person crew. The three Yellow Sea destinations served from Incheon, Daecheongdo, Baengnyeongdo, and Socheongdo, are the economic context: communities that depend on this corridor for freight, commerce, and daily movement. The passenger interior reflects that reality, with multiple seating classes, accessibility facilities, a parent zone, a pet zone, and a medical room built into the fitout.

This is the second Incat Crowther-Kangnam-KEF collaboration. Korea Pride, a 72-metre passenger ferry, has operated from Incheon since 2022, and its service record was the direct evidence base for the new order. The 80-metre design extends that architecture by eight metres and adds full Ro-Pax capability to what was previously a passenger-only platform.

"This new vessel represents a significant step in improving connectivity between Ongjin County and Incheon," Hwang said. "The increased vehicle capacity will support local businesses and residents, while providing reliable and comfortable passenger service."

Construction at Kangnam's yard is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, with delivery targeted for 2028. The hull will be built in marine-grade aluminium to a 2.3-metre draft and 5.5-metre depth. If the timeline holds, KEF will have one of the largest domestically built aluminium fast-ferry Ro-Pax catamarans in South Korean service operating one of the country's most demanding island routes.