Production Starts at Austal Philippines on Gotlandsbolaget’s High-Speed Hydrogen-Ready Horizon X Catamaran

Austal Philippines formally began production on Gotlandsbolaget’s Horizon X with a plate-cutting ceremony at the Balamban yard on 5 February 2026, marking the start of a 130 metre, aluminium high-speed ro-pax catamaran designed to carry 1,500 passengers and 400 cars at up to 30 knots on the roughly 140 kilometre Gotland crossing.

Gotlandsbolaget chief executive Björn Nilsson attended the ceremony and framed the moment as strategic for the operator, saying: “Commencing production of Horizon X is a significant milestone for Gotlandsbolaget. We are pleased to see construction underway and to celebrate this moment alongside Austal and the skilled shipbuilders here in Balamban. This vessel represents a key investment in our future capability, combining speed, capacity and sustainability, and we look forward to working closely with Austal throughout the build.”

Austal Limited chief executive Paddy Gregg described Horizon X as a technological step-change for the yard and the fleet, noting the ship will be built with a multi-fuel, hydrogen-ready propulsion concept. Gregg said: “We are delighted to be building Horizon X, a world-leading hydrogen-ready high-speed ferry, and the largest we have ever built, at Austal Philippines. This vessel's innovative multi-fuel design, including a unique combined cycle propulsion system integrating gas and steam turbines, driven by waste heat recovery, will help redefine efficiency and sustainability in the ferry sector.”

The propulsion architecture specified includes Siemens Energy SGT-400 gas turbines in a combined cycle configuration, with waste heat recovery producing steam to drive a steam turbine. Gas and steam turbines will both drive the Kongsberg waterjets and supply hotel and electrical loads via power take-offs on the main gearbox. Kongsberg Maritime’s newly launched Kamewa S-4L series will see its first commercial installation on Horizon X, with two S160-S4L main waterjets and two S100-S4LB booster units; the S-4L series carries a mean time between overhaul of 25,000 hours and features a dual bucket and steering nozzle system intended to improve low-speed handling and reduce turnaround time.

The build follows an order placed in February 2025. Hull fabrication is slated to begin in the first half of 2026 following plate cutting, with Austal and industry reports giving a delivery or entry into service window that ranges from mid-2028 to 2029; Baird Maritime cites an approximate construction cost of US$170 million. Austal also plans to apply its AI hull optimisation tools to finalise an energy-efficient aluminium hull form for improved seakeeping and reduced consumption.

Horizon X is described by partners as “fuel flexible” and is designed to enable zero CO2 crossings on the Gotland route once low-carbon hydrogen or other alternative fuels and bunkering infrastructure are in place. With plate cutting complete, suppliers Siemens Energy and Kongsberg Maritime now turn to supplier integration and system commissioning ahead of hull fabrication in H1 2026 and the multi-stage testing and delivery programme toward the announced mid-2028 to 2029 service window.