Danish naval architect Knud E Hansen reports that Orkney islands’ councillors have given the green light to a project to replace the ageing inter-island ferry fleet with new, more efficient and environmentally friendly vessels. .
The procurement process to design and build the first three ferries is scheduled to start soon, with Knud E Hansen already having been contracted to provide the groundwork.
The first phase will replace the elderly ferries serving Eday, Sanday, Stronsay and Westray routes with three new 60m vessels with electrically-driven Voith Schneider propulsion units. This phase could also include a similar ferry replacing the Hoy Head which serves Hoy and Flotta.
The new monohull design would be 10m longer that the Varagen, the largest of the existing fleet, and would be able to carry 190 passengers and ten HGVs, as against the current 140 and two respectively at present.
While the planning is going ahead, the Scottish Government has yet to commit towards the estimated £800m total cost of the scheme.
Image: Rendering of proposed new Orkney ferry (credit: Knud E Hansen)
