Seven new electric ferries for Scotland
Remote island communities in Scotland will benefit from seven new electric ferries as the fleet operator Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) plans to replace a quarter of its fleet.
The lead bidder to build the lock-class ferries has been identified – the Polish Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland – and the contract will be awarded after a 10-day standstill period.
The vessels are being built under CMAL’s Small Vessel Replacement Programme, ‘to help support island communities and improve the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network’, CMAL says. The ferries are scheduled to be delivered in 2027.
Six other vessels are due to join the fleet this year and next, which means a quarter of the 37 ferries in CMAL’s fleet will have been renewed.
“It is our responsibility to follow the Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland and appoint a yard capable of producing quality vessels which meet the needs of islanders, but that also deliver the best value for the public purse,” said Kevin Hobbs, Chief Executive of CMAL.
Remontowa beat four other tenders in winning the contract (subject to the standstill period), including Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard, England’s Cammell Laird, Dutch shipbuilder Damen and Ferguson Marine Port, in Scotland.
The bids were ‘robustly assessed’ against technical and financial criteria, with a 65/35% weighting, respectively.
“Small vessels are an integral part of our operation, and new tonnage will allow us to improve the resilience of our service and the experience customers have on these routes,” said Duncan Mackison, CalMac’s Chief Executive Officer.
