Cemre Shipyard has begun the delivery of the four-ferry contract it received from Scotland. The first ferry, MV Isle of Islay, which is 95 meters long, is set to depart this week.

The first of the four ferries, each valued at approximately 70 million dollars, was delivered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) in Scotland.

Approval has been granted by British regulatory authorities for the MV Isle of Islay, the first of the four new CalMac ferries being built at the Turkish shipyard. The vessel is expected to commence its two-week journey to Scotland next week.

The ferry operator CalMac will likely see the vessel enter service in early spring, as the crew will need time to acclimatize to the ship and conduct berthing trials. The 95-meter-long vessel can carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 heavy goods vehicles, serving the islands of Islay and Jura.

The second vessel for the Islay route, MV Loch Indaal, is expected to be delivered during the summer of this year. Construction is also ongoing for two additional ferries designed to serve North Uist and Harris for the Little Minch route.

The tender process for the vessel garnered significant attention in Scotland. While local media consistently pointed out that Scottish shipyards had the capacity to build the ferry, the Turkish company stood out in terms of both quality and cost. However, due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, a delay of 1.5 years occurred, with delivery now expected in October 2024.

CMAL CEO Kevin Hobbs stated:

'Taking ownership of the MV Isle of Islay marks a significant step forward in our plan to rejuvenate the Scottish ferry fleet.'

Cemre Shipyard, which has a budget of approximately 300 million dollars for the construction of the four ferries, was established in 1997 to provide painting services for ships. Since entering shipbuilding in 2007, Cemre Shipyard has been constructing vessels for some of the world's leading maritime nations, including Canada, Denmark, and Norway.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye