#SEATRUCK NEWBUILD - With the announcement of Seatruck Ferries new Belfast-Heysham route to open in May, the company have in the meantime introduced a newbuild this week on the Dublin-Heysham route, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Seatruck Performance brings additional capacity to the route to Lancashire and becomes the third newbuild to enter the Irish Sea where her sisters are operating Dublin-Liverpool sailings.

She has a length of 142 m, breadth of 25 m and a capacity of 151 units, which is 35 more than the earlier 'P' Class ships which have shifted elsewhere on the Seatruck network.

The final fourth vessel Seatruck Precision as previously reported is currently under construction at the FGS Flensburg yard in Germany and is expected to make her debut on the Irish Sea in June.

#FREIGHT FERRY - The third of four newbuilds, Seatruck Performance was launched at the FGS Flensburg Yard, Germany, last week, according to The Motorship.

The first of the newbuildings, Seatruck Progress, is now operating on the Dublin-Liverpool route. The second in the series, Seatruck Power, will join this route in mid-February (see previous report HERE). The third vessel, Seatruck Performance, will begin operations in the Irish Sea in April and the final ferry will be launched at FSG at the end of March and is due to enter service in June.

All four ships will operate mainly in the Irish Sea. They are 142m long and 25m wide, boast a freight-carrying capacity of 2,166 lane-metres on four decks and can carry up to 155 trailers.

The FSG ships are the most efficient and modern in the Seatruck fleet, and will be the biggest to operate out of the port of Heysham, the length being determined by the size of this port.

FSG engineers designed the ships for eco-friendliness and low fuel consumption. Compared to conventional ships, they are said to consume up to 30% less fuel, saving costs and representing a significant contribution to environmental protection.