The Spirit of Tasmania IV, a massive 212-meter ferry, is set to be mothballed in Edinburgh as a result of a significant infrastructure crisis affecting Tasmania. Built at a shipyard in Finland, the ferry is too large for the current berths in Devonport, Australia, and needs to be relocated before winter due to risks posed by pack ice. A new berth intended for the ferry in Tasmania will not be operational until late 2026 or 2027. Once lauded as a revolutionary asset for Tasmania's tourism sector, the ferry's construction delays and rising costs have transformed it into a political scandal of epic proportions, described by Australian media as a "fiasco" and "debacle."
Opposition leader Dean Winter characterized the situation as the "biggest infrastructure stuff-up" in Tasmania's history, leading to the resignations of both the infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and TT-Line chairman, Mike Grainger, in August. Recent developments revealed that the necessary berth in Devonport, originally scheduled for completion in August 2024, will now not be finished until at least October 2026.
TT-Line's chief executive, Bernard Dwyer, expressed the urgency of moving the vessel due to impending low temperatures in Rauma, Finland, saying, "To ensure the vessel’s safety and preservation, we will temporarily relocate it to Leith, Scotland, where conditions are more suitable." There are discussions about leasing the vessel, but additional work is necessary as the original agreement stipulated some fittings must be finished in Australia.
The size of the Spirit of Tasmania IV makes its usage in Scotland unlikely, despite a pressing need for new vessels for the west coast ferry operator, CalMac. This saga mirrors Scotland's own "ferries fiasco," where the state-owned CMAL ordered ships that similarly cannot access existing infrastructure, causing delays and operational challenges.
