The fate of the newest Spirit of Tasmania ferry will be decided within weeks, with options under consideration to either lease it out or bring it home to Tasmania.
Spirit IV is currently sitting idle at the Port of Leith in Scotland, where it has been since December 3.
Delays in the development of Devonport’s port infrastructure have postponed its entry into service in Tasmania until as late as 2027.
According to the state government, a broker engaged by ferry operator TT-Line is “exploring options” for leasing or chartering the vessel.
“Various interested parties recently travelled to Leith to tour the vessel, with discussions ongoing,” a spokesperson said.
“Advice is expected to be received by the end of the month at which point a decision will be made.”
As of January 3, the vessel’s storage costs in Scotland averaged $23,915 per week, down from the $47,534 per week incurred during its first month.
Neither figures include crewing costs of $95,000 per week or other ancillary expenses, which have not yet been fully calculated.
By the end of January, the cost for 60 days of storage and crew will have exceeded $1 million.
“There have been no further changes or updates to the berthing or crewing costs or arrangements,” the government said in its latest update.
If leasing proves unfeasible, bringing Spirit IV back to Tasmania will cost an estimated $4 million.
