Lago Ranco will be the setting for a new milestone in the history of Astilleros y Servicios Navales (Asenav), as the company will be in charge of building a new barge to strengthen connectivity between Futrono and Isla Huapi. The unit will become the 200th vessel manufactured in Valdivia in the company's 52-year history.
The project, commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), through the Directorate of Port Works (DOP), will allow for the incorporation of a second 39-meter-long vessel to complement the operation of the Epu Huapi barge, which "operates in that area to this day, strengthening and expanding transport capacity for the more than 600 people who inhabit the island territory," the entity specified.
The new vessel will have 60 linear meters - double the current vessel - to distribute vehicles in two parking rows. It will also have capacity to transport 75 seated passengers, increasing "by 15 people the capacity allowed for the current barge, which translates into a positive impact for a community that depends on this connection for their daily mobility," Asenav specified.
"The integration of two ramps represents one of the main operational evolutions of the project. Thanks to its Roll-On/Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) configuration, vehicles will be able to enter and disembark from the bow or stern, reducing the need for maneuvers on the cargo deck. In addition, this attribute will allow the barge to approach the shore from either end, achieving greater flexibility and efficiency," it added.
Another improvement included in its design aims at accessibility and comfort for passengers. The vessel will incorporate an elevator to facilitate the vertical movement of people with reduced mobility to the upper deck, a space where a cafeteria will be installed and which will be equipped with more comfortable pullman-type seats.
In this regard, Germán Schacht, Asenav's commercial manager, highlighted that "in a territory as diverse as Chile, vessels that connect communities not only represent a means of transport, but also part of the critical infrastructure that allows access to services, supplies, work, health care, and new opportunities."
"Therefore, we are proud that our capabilities are once again put at the service of a real need to improve the country's connectivity in the Los Ríos Region, developing a vessel that will be prepared for the conditions where it will operate, with the aim of improving the quality of life of hundreds of people," he added.
The executive also highlighted the special value this project has for the shipyard. "This barge marks the construction of our 200th vessel, becoming a milestone that invites us to look at our history, recognize the path traveled, and reaffirm the commitment we have made to contribute to the interconnection of Chile," Schacht specified.
"That purpose was also present in the dream of our founder, Eberhard Kossmann, becoming a reality in 1977 with the delivery of our project 009, the first barge for the State destined for Lago Yelcho, in Palena. Today we see that, after 52 years, his legacy lives on in every vessel that unites diverse communities, through the archipelagos, fjords, and lakes of southern Chile," he concluded.
