The contract has for the new £5.7million Strangford Ferry been awarded to Cammell Laird from Merseyside after an open procurement exercise which had attracted interest from shipyards across Europe.
The new ferry is due to be delivered by August 2016.
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The new ferry building contract for £5.7million to replace the MV Strangford has been awarded to Cammel Laird.[/caption]
DRD Minister Danny Kennedy said: “The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford with a new modern ferry that has been designed specifically for this service. The new ferry will be built over the next 18 months and, when it comes into operation, will provide a more reliable and efficient ferry service.”
“The new ferry will have capacity for 28 cars and 260 passengers and will share the ferry operation on a rotational basis with the MV Portaferry II. This will provide improved capacity and remove the need for a 7.5 tonne weight restriction that is in place when the MV Strangford is in service.
“The Department currently operates a vehicle ferry service in Strangford Lough between Strangford and Portaferry with two vehicle ferries and a back-up passenger ferry. The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford which is over 40 years old and is approaching the end of its economically operational life,” added Minister Kennedy.
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The Strangford Ferry is being replaced in August 2016 with a new vessel.[/caption]
Strangford MP Jim Shannon welcomed the news and said: “This shows the commitment to this services and enforces the need to have a regular and convenient ferry between Portaferry and Strangford. Cammel Laird from Merseyside won the contract and although it will take some 18 months to build, this contract will be one worth waiting for. It will have the capacity to take 28 cars and 260 passengers and that will be enough to deliver a convenient service between Portaferry and Strangford. Good news is on the way.”
Also welcoming the announcement, SDLP Ards Councillor Joe Boyle said: “I am delighted that plans for the new ferry are still on course. I attended a meeting with the DRD in Portaferry last year and I now see this project as being well on course for delivery in 2016.
“The new ferry will have sufficient capacity to transport vehicles and passengers and in the event of the need for a future servicing or refit, it should not pose a problem for the users as it will for many years be running efficiently.
“We still need a back up ferry as many people depend on getting across the Lough early in the morning to work. It provides a vital service for its many users.
“But I still hold on to the ultimate solution of seeing a bridge built over the Lough which would open up the Ards Peninsula for tourism properly. Even the Downe Hospital would be much more accessible just seven miles away from Strangford whilst at the moment we are faced with a 30 mile drive to the Ulster Hospital. The bridge is still on my radar.”
Mr Rob McBurney, Commercial Director of Cammell Laird, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for the construction of the new Strangford Ferry. The company has a long tradition of ship building and we look forward to working with the Department over the coming years.”
The Department has engaged with a range of stakeholders, including the public, the Committee for Regional Development and local councils during the development of the ferry proposals. A representative of the Department confirmed that the project team will continue to keep stakeholders informed during the construction of the new ferry.
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