{"id":133670,"date":"2026-03-24T13:10:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/901474429"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:10:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:10:23","slug":"china-shipyard-to-build-a200m-freight-ferries-for-northern-isles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/24\/china-shipyard-to-build-a200m-freight-ferries-for-northern-isles\/","title":{"rendered":"China shipyard to build \u00c2\u00a3200m freight ferries for Northern Isles"},"content":{"rendered":"

A shipyard in China has been awarded a contract to build freight ferries worth \u00a3200m to serve passengers in the Northern Isles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has awarded the contract to build two freight flex vessels to Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., Ltd.<\/p>\n

The vessels, which will replace the MVs Helliar and Hildasay on the Aberdeen to Kirkwall\/Lerwick route, will have the capacity to carry 200 passengers each during peak times and dry dock periods.<\/p>\n

CMAL, the Scottish government-owned ferries procurement body, owns a total of 37 ferries.<\/p>\n

Five are leased to Serco NorthLink Ferries for the Orkney and Shetland routes.<\/p>\n

The vessels are currently expected to be delivered by 2029, and the estimated cost is around \u00a3200m, covering both vessels, CMAL and other project costs.<\/p>\n

It is understood that no UK yards bid for the contract.<\/p>\n

Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said: \u201cI am pleased that CMAL has signed the contract to build two freight-flex vessels for the Northern Isles network, and that construction will begin soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe heard clearly from islanders and stakeholders the need for improved freight and cabin capacity on these ferry services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe freight-flex vessels will bring additional freight capacity, higher operating speeds and the flexibility to carry up to 200 passengers on each ship at peak times \u2013 enhancing the resilience and reliability of the Northern Isles ferry services for years to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank all parties involved in reaching this key milestone, particularly CMAL and NorthLink, and look forward to following the progress of this important vessel replacement project.\u201d<\/p>\n

CMAL chief executive Kevin Hobbs said: \u201cAwarding this contract marks a significant milestone in delivering the replacement vessels for the Northern Isles ferry services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese vessels will provide a vital boost to freight capacity and provide a more resilient service for passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to working with Guangzhou Shipyard International as detailed design followed by construction is progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guangzhou Shipyard International President William Zhou said: \u201cWe are truly privileged to partner with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and Transport Scotland on this prestigious project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe fully recognise the strategic importance of these new freight flex vessels in delivering reliable, efficient, and sustainable ferry services to Scotland\u2019s island communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith nearly three decades of specialised expertise in the ROPAX sector, GSI stands as a globally preeminent shipbuilder, renowned for our commitment to excellence.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeveraging our extensive experience, we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of design, engineering, and delivery \u2013 providing vessels that are not only reliable and efficient but also environmentally responsible, and built to the highest quality standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to contributing to Scotland\u2019s maritime infrastructure and supporting the continued prosperity of its communities through world-class, sustainable transport solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… capacity on these ferry services. \u00e2\u0080\u009cThe freight<\/span>-flex vessels will bring additional … freight<\/span> capacity, higher operating speeds and the … , GSI stands as a globally preeminent shipbuilder<\/span>, renowned for our commitment to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133670\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}