P&O Ferries has just signed a Letter of Intent with Norwegian ship builder Aker Yards to manufacture two new ships for the Dover-Calais operation. The first of the new P&O Ferries will set sail in December 2010 and the second following suit in September 2011. The ships will offer 2,700 lane metres of vehicle space and effectively double the capacity of the Pride of Dover and the Pride of Calais, the ships they are scheduled to replace. The new vessels will also have a third vehicle deck that can hold  up to 250 tourist vehicles.

The company operates18 shipyards in Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Romania, Vietnam and Ukraine and has scheduled this newest project to take place in Aker Yards shipyard in Rauma, Finland. Some say that P&O Ferries may have saved the Finnish shipyard which has been in danger of shutting down. The region of Rauma is in desperate need of industry and the new contract will create some 1,800 man-years of work. The total contract price for both ships would total approximately EUR 360 million.

The new ships are expected to be 210 metres in length and weigh in at 49,000 gross tonnes, making them the largest ferries ever to operate in the Short Sea sector. The size also means that they will just fit into the facilities at the Channel ports.

Keeping eco-conservatism in mind, P&O Ferries is requiring that the new ships be as environmentally friendly as possible and use significant advances in fuel efficiency. Aker Yards will also be using eco-friendly materials in the construction and intends to obtain a “Green Passport” issued by Lloyd’s Register.

www.poferries.com