Transport / Four shipyards invited to tender for £200m freight boat contract
THE PROCUREMENT of two new freight ferries for the Northern Isles network is progressing to the ‘invite to tender’ stage – with the project estimated to cost £200 million.
The first stage of the competitive tender process assessed shipyards interested in bidding for the contract against specific criteria including facilities, capacities and capabilities to take on the project.
The following four yards (in alphabetical order) have been selected to progress to invite to tender stage:
- Cemre – Turkey
- GSI – China
- Stena UK alongside reliance partner CMJL (Weihai)
- Tersan – Turkey
The two new freight-flex vessels will serve the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route, with the vessels set to have more passenger capacity than the existing freight boats Helliar and Hildasay.
There would be space for up to 200 passengers in peak months.
There will also be increased freight capacity too.
The estimated £200 million cost covers both vessels as well as other projects costs including shore power upgrades.
Tender returns are expected by late November, with a view to awarding the contract in February 2026.
Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Scottish Government is committed to investing in our ferry fleet to better meet the needs of island communities, so I’m very pleased to see the second stage of procurement process for two new freight flex vessels get underway.
“This is an important milestone in our plans to improve ferry services and I look forward to following the progress of this project over the coming months.”
CMAL chief executive Kevin Hobbs said the new vessels would provide a “huge increase” in capacity for both freight and passengers.
“The desire for an increased freight provision was regularly mentioned throughout our public engagement sessions, but so too was additional passenger accommodation to add resilience to the fleet,” he said.
“The freighter-flex design allows us to meet both needs: accommodating up to 200 passengers during peak months or alternatively reverting to freight mode to maximise commercial vehicle capacity.”
Serco NorthLink managing director Stuart Garrett commented: “We are really pleased that the Freight Flex project has now moved to the ITT phase and look forward to continuing to work closely with all relevant parties, particularly with a view to ensuring key contract award dates can be met.”
Councillor Moraig Lyall, who chairs Shetland Islands Council’s environment and transport committee as well as ZetTrans and the local external transport forum, said she welcomed the news.
“I look forward to hearing the outcome of this process in the coming months,” she continued.
“Capacity on our ferries has been an increasing concern for many, both for passengers and freight, and these new vessels will increase the space for both.”
Meanwhile an outline business case and concept designs for replacement Northern Isles passenger ferries is expected to be presented to Scottish ministers next year.
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