Orders have been placed by Norwegian company NorFerries for the first three BGVs. Two vessels of 180m LOA will have a capacity for 94 trailers each while one larger vessel will carry 175 trailers. All three vessels will have an average speed of 35 knots, with the larger ship operating a southern route between Boulogne and Santander while the smaller two service northern routes between Boulogne, Sheerness and Drammen. With Boulogne as the hub port, voyage times to Santander and Drammen will each be 20 hours while the crossing to Sheerness will take only two hours.

Spearheading the BGV project, the Boulogne Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been looking towards new investment opportunities in the commercial area of the port following the closure in 2003 of the Comilog ferro-manganese plant, the site of which will now become the location of the new ro-ro berth.

'This is excellent news for the future development of the Port of Boulogne as the only French port to be involved in the revolutionary BGV project, said Francis Leroy, president of the Boulogne Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 'We are convinced that the BGV service can attract road hauliers between the countries it will operate to and from. We also believe that this is an important way to support EU initiatives to move some freight cargo from the roads.'

Confirmation of where the vessels are to be built is expected soon, with construction to begin this summer.

MJInformation No: 21804