The contract was signed at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Hall of the Ministry of Finance, Díli, by the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, and by the regional director of Damen Shipyards, Gysbert Boersma. According to their contract, The vessel will operate a route between the Timor-Leste capital Dili, the Oecusse enclave and the island of Ataúro.

The project is supposed to begin operations in 2021, and will lower operation costs, increase reliability of the service, and improve employment opportunities due to the improvement in transportation networks. 

“This new ferry will help to connect Dili with other ports on the south and east coasts of Timor-Leste and improve access to market, education and institutions in Dili and provide other important services to Timor-Leste,” said José Agustinho da Silva, Timor-Leste Minister of Transport and Communications.

Damen’s design and proposal engineer on the project, Gökçe Koç, explains why the vessel is ideal for Timor-Leste, “The vessel’s two Yanmar engines, delivering 837 kilowatts of power to a 1.6 metre fixed pitch propeller, give it the power to manoeuvre safely when docking as well as on the open water. It’s a remarkably stable vessel and combines high levels of comfort for the passengers along with high performance for the operator. APORTIL couldn’t have made a better choice.”

Maritime Business World