World's largest electric ferry begins epic journey to South America aboard heavy-lift ship

The MV Black Marlin, a 217-metre Dutch-operated heavy-lift ship, dropped anchor in Hobart's River Derwent on a July morning, marking the beginning of what local officials are calling one of Tasmania's most complex maritime operations. The vessel had sailed from South Africa to collect a single cargo: China Zorrilla, the world's largest battery-electric ferry, built by Hobart-based Incat and destined for service between Uruguay and Argentina.

China Zorrilla—named after a Uruguayan actress—was completed in May of the previous year and designed to carry up to 2,100 passengers across the Rio de la Plata, the waterway separating Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay from Buenos Aires in Argentina. The ferry was ready to ship in April, but the operation stalled when the original heavy-lift vessel assigned to transport it became trapped in the Persian Gulf amid escalating US-Iran tensions. The Black Marlin was secured as a replacement in June, ending months of uncertainty for Incat and its client, the South American ferry operator Buquebus.

Robert Clifford, Incat's chairman, described the wait as grueling. "It's been a challenging two or three months," he said, noting that the original vessel remains stuck in the Persian Gulf. The loading operation itself will unfold over several days and involve dozens of personnel from Boksalis, Incat, and TasPorts, with a 500-metre exclusion zone enforced around the work site. On Wednesday night, the Black Marlin will begin its transformation: the semi-submersible ship will flood its cargo deck, a process requiring ten hours. By Thursday morning, China Zorrilla will be moved from Macquarie Wharf and positioned onto a cradle suspended above the submerged deck—a maneuver taking approximately four hours. Water will then be pumped out over another ten hours, raising the cargo deck and the ferry above the waterline. The final stages of securing and chaining will extend into Friday and Saturday, after which the Black Marlin will depart for South America, a voyage expected to last roughly forty days.

Clifford emphasized the rarity of what is about to unfold. "A ship of this size going on a heavy-lift ship is rather unusual," he said. "Other parts of the world, they've seen it of course, but this is the first time anything like this has happened in Australia." The operation represents a watershed moment for Tasmanian maritime industry, demonstrating the state's capacity to handle engineering challenges at a global scale.

Once the Black Marlin reaches Buenos Aires, the entire loading sequence will be reversed—the cargo deck will be submerged, the ferry lowered and disconnected, and China Zorrilla positioned for final commissioning. Clifford indicated that within weeks of arrival, the ferry should enter service, pending electrical connections and shore-based equipment testing that will occur in Argentina. All systems have already been tested on land, he noted, so the work in South America amounts largely to verification and final integration.

The successful completion of this operation carries implications beyond a single ship. Incat has five more electrically powered vessels in development, and several will require heavy-lift transport. If the company's expansion plans materialize as intended, Hobart could see heavy-lift ships arriving with regularity—potentially one per month at full capacity, though Clifford cautioned that such a pace would take considerable time to establish. For Tasmania, the prospect signals a shift toward becoming a recognized hub for advanced shipbuilding, with the infrastructure and expertise to support not just construction but the complex logistics of delivering vessels to distant markets.