Isles of Scilly Steamship Group has named Piriou as its preferred shipbuilder to build and deliver two new vessels.
In April, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group announced a private financing solution for the replacement of the Scillonian III passenger ferry and Gry Maritha cargo boat.
Piriou is a long-established ship builder with over 50 years’ experience building more than 600 vessels and production facilities in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group and Piriou will commence detailed design work with the intention of signing contracts in next month.
Construction of both vessels will commence in Piriou’s Vietnam yard in spring 2024. The vessels will then be transferred to Piriou’s yard in France for commissioning and testing, ready for delivery ahead of the 2026 season.
Stuart Reid, CEO, of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “This is a big step forward and an important milestone for our vessel replacement programme, which will deliver new and improved vessels for the Isles of Scilly.
“The selection process started with over 30 shipyards which have been evaluated by our experienced project team. The project team, consisting of a mix of technical expertise, shipbuilding experience and the four masters of our current vessels, worked through a series of bids delivered by the shipyards.
“Visits took place to shortlisted shipyards to complete our extensive due diligence. The project team was unanimous in its decision to appoint Piriou as its preferred shipyard on the basis of experience, technical expertise in delivering specialist ferries and competitiveness.”
