SPIRIT OF TASMANIA 4

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New ferry will not house Ukrainian refugees

The Tasmanian Government has instructed the state-owned ferry operator TT-Line to cease lease negotiations for the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' and instead begin the process of bringing it to Tasmania on March 2, 2025. There was no timeline of when the ferry would sail to Tasmania. The ship is still berthed in the Port of Leith in Edinburgh, while a suitable berth is built to house it in Devonport, Tasmania. It was originally meant to be transporting passengers and freight across Bass Strait by 2024. But delays to infrastructure at the port of Devonport mean neither of the two new ferries are expected to operate between Tasmania and Victoria until 2027. The Scottish government confirmed it had no plans to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IVÄ to house Ukrainian refugees. Pulse Tasmania had said the Scottish government was in "advanced negotiations" to lease the first ferry for this purpose. The Tasmanian government said a further update regarding timelines would be provided in due course.

Ferry may be leased to house Ukrainian refugees

The Scottish Government is in advanced negotiations to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' to house Ukrainian refugees. The ship, which arrived at the port of Leith in late 2024, would replace the 'Victoria I' that previously accommodated displaced Ukrainians. The Tasmanian Government and the state-owned ferry operator TT-Line are currently in lease negotiations, with an official announcement expected on Feb 28, 2025. The Scottish Government had relied on the 'Victoria I' since late 2022 to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian war. The ship provided accommodation for 1,319 displaced Ukrainians during its approximately one-year deployment. The operation cost approximately $45.2 million each month. While the potential cost to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' remains undisclosed, the vessel offers significantly less capacity with 301 cabins compared to the 'Victoria I's 739.

TT Line in negotiations to lease laid up ferry

The TT-Line has entered live commercial negotiations after receiving an offer to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV'. As a result, the Bass Strait ferry will remain in Leith until the end of February as TT-Line was moving to finalise terms and conditions. The ferry — one of two being commissioned to replace the existing aging Bass Strait ferries — left the shipbuilding yards in Finland at the end of November, and has remained at the port of Leith ever since. The second ship, the 'Spirit of Tasmania V', is still under construction. The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' was initially slated to arrive in Devonport in Tasmania's north-west in late 2024, but TT-Line failed to build a berth in time. Devonport does not have a berth large enough to accommodate the bigger ship, meaning it has been unable to operate its intended Geelong to Devonport route. Leith was identified as the most cost effective and climate-suitable location to store the new vessels for two years. The berth will not be ready until February 2027, although the government was trying to get it ready for October 2026. In the meantime, the Tasmanian government has been looking at leasing out the ship, which is being kept in Scotland because TT-Line claims it will be easier to lease it out from there. The government would make a decision about the ship's future by the end of January. One of the main arguments for leasing out the ship is to try to recuperate some money. During the two months it has been in Scotland it has already racked up quite the bill. The first month of storing the ship was a lot more expensive, with TT-Line charged $47,534 per week. Since then, the cost has dropped to $23,915 per week and will remain that price during February.