BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. The Azerbaijani "Zarifa Aliyeva" Ro-Pax ferry boat was built by local specialists, the project manager of the Baku Shipyard LLC Shamkhal Huseynov told Trend.
According to Huseynov, the ferry boat construction project was implemented at the shipyard by order of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO).
The construction of the boat began in 2018, he reminded.
"Nearly 250-300 people participated in the building process," the project manager said.
Huseynov also reminded that since 2014, 10 vessels of various types have been built at the shipyard.
"They include a dry cargo ship, three passenger ships (with a capacity of 80 people each), four tankers and two Ro-Pax type ferry boats,” he noted. “The total cost of these projects amounted to 341.1 million manat ($200.6 million), of which 242 million manat ($142.3 million) fell on ASCO and 99.1 million manat ($58.3 million) - on the government.”
Speaking about the dimensions of “Zarifa Aliyeva” boat, he noted that its width is 17.7 meters and its length is 154.5 meters.
"This vessel is unique for being equipped with cargo and passenger elevators, and a wave balancing system. The vessel also has a sauna, a swimming pool, and water filtration devices," Huseynov said.
Besides, according to him, the ferry boat is intended both for the transport of passengers and cargo, including cars and railway cars.
"For emergencies, the vessel has lifeboats with a total capacity of up to 200 people. Moreover, the boat is equipped with a helipad," added the project manager.
The new Ro-Pax vessels have a higher carrying capacity than the ferries operating in the Caspian Sea. They can carry 100 passengers, 56 tank cars or 50 heavy vehicles.
“Zarifa Aliyeva” ferry boat was commissioned on April 28, 2022.
