Ulstein wants to conquer RoPax market with offshore design

Oslo - Norway’s shipbuilding Ulstein Group wants to bring to new segments the X-Bow special hull shape originally developed for offshore supply vessels. The Norwegians have now developed a series of x-Bow ships for the RoPax market.

“Many RoPax vessels operate in harsh areas, for which the X-Bow was originally designed,” remind Ulstein in a press release. “An X-Bow vessel at the same speed and weather conditions will use less power than a conventional bow vessel. The X-BOW hull line is a proven solution used in a number of different market segments, and leads to improved seakeeping, and reduced speed loss and fuel consumption, hence a reduced environmental footprint.”

According to Tore Ulstein, the Group’s Chief operating officer, “RoPax is a segment in growth, where we will see fleet renewals in the years to come. We have for some time worked to integrate Ulstein’s design mindset into a range of RoPax vessels. These vessels are all equipped with the X-Bow hull feature, a natural choice when operating in climatically rough conditions.”