Image Credits: INCAT The 217 m long heavy-lift transport ship, the MV Black Marlin, will transport the world’s largest electric vessel, dubbed China Zorrilla, from Hobart’s River Derwent to South America. Built by Hobart-based Incat in 2025, the 130 m long battery-electric catamaran can accommodate 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. It features more than 5,000 batteries, which provide a 90-minute runtime. The ferry was ordered by the South American ferry company Buquebus for the Rio de la Plata route between Colonia (Uruguay) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). It underwent sea trials in January 2025 and was ready by April. However, it could not be delivered as the heavy-lift ship was stuck in the Persian Gulf due to the US-Iran war. Incat also thought of using temporary diesel generators to power electric motors, but chose to wait for a transport vessel to preserve the ferry’s structural integrity, since the aluminium catamaran is built for calm rivers rather than heavy seas. Incat chairman Robert Clifford said that Black Marlin is off the South African coast, and, after refuelling and stopping in Melbourne, it will arrive in Hobart by mid-July. It will be one of the biggest vessels to ever enter the River Derwent, where only about half a dozen heavy-lift vessels exist worldwide. The loading process will be overseen by TasPorts and will happen in the river’s deepest region, probably off Taroona, as the vessel will draw 23 m of water when partially submerged. Workers will need a whole day to build a custom cradle on the Black Marlin’s deck. The semi-submersible ship will sink its cargo deck below the waterline, and tugboats will guide China Zorrilla into position over the cradle. Water will be pumped out to raise the deck, and the ferry will be chained down. Incat’s head of projects, David Riseley, said that putting a large catamaran on a heavy-lift ship is uncommon, making this a crucial “test case”.