Two new large Scottish island freight ferries are likely to be built overseas, with Turkish and Chinese shipyards shortlisted for the £200 million project, even as the UK Government expands major investments in Clyde and Rosyth shipyards.
Transport Scotland confirmed this week that four bidders have been invited to submit detailed tenders for the Northern Isles vessels: Cemre and Tersan in Turkey, Guangzhou Shipyard International in China, and a Stena UK partnership with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai.
The two ships, designed for freight but capable of carrying up to 200 passengers in peak season, will replace ageing tonnage on the Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Lerwick routes.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop described the development as an “important milestone” in the Scottish Government’s efforts to improve lifeline ferry services. Tender returns are expected in November 2025, with a contract award scheduled for February 2026.
At Holyrood, written questions have already raised issues around the decision to consider foreign yards. MSPs have asked whether the Procurement Act 2023 should disqualify tenders from states without free-trade agreements with the UK, whether the Subsidy Control Act 2022 allows for a UK-only restriction on grounds of national security, and whether the National Shipbuilding Strategy’s call for a minimum 10 per cent social value weighting has been applied.
The scrutiny comes at a time when the UK Government is scaling up domestic shipbuilding capacity with significant investment. Defence Secretary John Healey recently describing Scotland as the heart of UK shipbuilding, with billions invested in yards on the Clyde and at Rosyth, sustaining thousands of high-skill jobs.
Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), defended the chosen “freighter-flex” design, saying it will provide both additional freight capacity and flexibility for passenger demand. Serco NorthLink, which operates the routes, welcomed progress to the tender stage.
They do say you can still hear the Clyde riviters on the wind.
Clowns
China? Are you kidding me.
The SNP loves or buy all its buses from China too. I have no problem with international tenders (maybe not china) I’m just against international tenders at the same time vast amounts of public money are pumped into bus and ferry manufacturer bailouts.
Pick one,
Not a single UK or even European shipyard on the shortlist. Do they live in a parallel world? At least Turkey is a NATO member. As for China, somebody needs to have a quiet word.
Agreed.
No one in the west wants to build Ferries.
Japan loves building ferries and they make very good ones.. they will also do industrial offset as well.
Ferguson Marine does. And they desperately need new orders.
Japan or Korea with industrial offset or an EU nation with industrial offset. Myklebust In Norway would be a good choice as we agreed to 10 billion industrial offset with them for the type 31s these ferries would be a good start.
Well, we all buy Chinese stuff and take it for granted and their Car Industry Is booming too, It’s not too difficult to imagine buying their ships really.
20 years ago, actually 10 years ago, their Motorcycles were rubbish, total copies of other companies, but they have started to catch up now on design and manufacturing quality (just like the Japanese did) they are even knocking out some decent larger performance bikes now, using top notch components and as always, Brilliant Prices.
Given the shortage of skilled workers and the need to urgently increase naval shipbuilding, there is an argument for sending this type of work abroad.
True but not to China!
Defo not China, for gads sake they are a potential enemy..! Unbelievable!
The SNP want independence within NATO yet they consistently display a total lack of geopolitical awareness., and before anyone say global politics is not in their remit, they do have international relationships as the recent visit to the White House proves, plus the letting of this contract.
Madness.
CR
I can’t recall anyone having ever accused SNP of having any awareness of competence in any regards?
Given the amount of work going on and the capacity issues in the system, I can understand the need to contract this out abroad, but China? Really?
I think most people in Shetland would agree that the No.1 priority is you get the right design of ships operational ASAP as currently neither the freight nor passenger requirements for a lifeline service are fit for purpose. This is having serious impacts from time to time on Shetlanders being able to travel South, and is also affecting time sensitive exports of lambs and especially fish and shellfish. When Humza was SNP Transport Minister we were promised new ships by 2026 but the necessary funding was never even allocated in the Scottish Budget.
Replacing the passenger ferries Hrossey and Hjaltland in another issue which has not yet been resolved except in terms of vague promises.
Yep let’s help to build up the key enemy of the west. FFS the west has essentially made china the premiere maritime power simply by buying its ships, containers and using its ports and products.. when the west lived in the delusional state that it had won history and everyone would become happy capitalist liberal democracies that was sort of OK..but we now know what China is.. it’s a Nationalist Communist state, with a heady mix of Han exceptionalism and a national belief in reunification, complete control of the 9 dash line and a national destiny as a hegemonic power. And it’s been using a mercantile strategy to gain maritime dominance.. for a western nation to even consistently buying a Chinese ship is essentially helping in a small way to sign the death warrant of the hegemony of liberal democratic power.
Geostrategic incompetence and sea/maritime blindness by the Scottish government..surprise surprise.. if it’s impossible to build ourselves we should be negotiating with another western nation or ally to build it with an agreed industrial offset from something we can build and sell.