Newly Delivered Ro-Ro Vessel Suffers Onboard Fire Off Taiwan

A newly completed Ro-Ro vessel suffered an onboard fire while en route to Europe on her delivery voyage on Wednesday, September 2.

Skipanes, which was formally handed over to Faroe Islands-based shipping company Smyril near the end of August, was some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Taiwan when a blaze ignited in her engine room.

No injuries have been reported, and the crew were able to extinguish the fire using the ship’s CO₂ suppression system. However, the ship was forced to return to China to undergo a technical inspection at a local shipyard.

Smyril Line said that the inspection will determine when the ship will be able to resume her delivery voyage.

Built by China’s CIMC Raffles, Skipanes was completed in fulfilment of a contract awarded by Smyril Line in 2024. CIMC Raffles said that two different series of ships will be built under the contract.

The DNV-classed Skipanes has a length of 189.5 metres, a beam of 27.2 metres, a draught of six metres, and a capacity of 3,300 lane metres.

The ship has a hybrid propulsion arrangement that includes batteries and main engines that can be configured in the future to permit operation on methanol.

CIMC Raffles said the vessel has been designed to tackle the complex sea conditions and extreme climates of the North Atlantic, balancing efficient operation with low carbon emissions.