New ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides

The procurement of seven new electric ferries to help support island communities and improve the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferries network is underway.

The first stage of the competitive tender process will assess if shipyards interested in bidding for the contract meet the financial and technical criteria to take on the project.

Estimated costs for Phase 1 of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme are around £175 million, for the seven new vessels as well as port improvements and shore power upgrades.

The invitation to tender for this contact is expected to issue around September 2024, with a view to awarding the contract in March 2025.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:

“The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to improving our ferry fleet to better meet the needs of island communities, so I’m very pleased to see the procurement process for seven new small vessels get underway today.

“Our intention is that these ferries would be deployed on seven existing routes, but would also bring benefits to two other routes from the redeployment of existing vessels. These nine routes currently serve around 30% of the car and passenger carryings on the Clyde and Hebrides network.

“The new vessels will also be electric, helping us to deliver a significant improvement in emissions and local air quality and taking us towards a lower carbon ferry network.

“This procurement is a vital step forward in our plans to improve our ferry services and I look forward to following its progress closely over the coming months.”

Kevin Hobbs, Chief Executive Officer at CMAL said:

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to progress the SVRP. What matters for us is being able to move forward with our plans to improve the fleet with new vessels. This is great news for island communities, and we look forward to delivering the all-electric lifeline vessels over the coming years.”