Northern Isles Freight Vessels

We are pleased to announce a series of public engagement sessions for the Northern Isles Freight Vessel Replacement Project. These sessions, which will be held in partnership with Transport Scotland and Serco NorthLink, will provide an opportunity for the community to learn about the project and offer their feedback.

The events will be drop-in sessions and anyone with an interest in the project is encouraged to drop in at a time and location convenient to them. We will present our updates in storyboard format, and the project team will be on hand to answer any questions.

Following the events, a copy of the materials exhibited, and a feedback form will be available at cmassets.co.uk/nifv, and after collating all feedback, we will publish a Q&A document.

Why Your Participation Matters

Your involvement is crucial to the success of the project. By attending the engagement session, you help ensure that the vessel aligns with the community’s needs and expectations.

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Contact Us

Questions and comments regarding the project can be emailed to nifv@cmassets.co.uk.

Scope

The project is to replace the two Northern Isles freight vessels currently operating on the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route. The project is led by CMAL, with support provided by Transport Scotland and Serco Northlink Ferries, as part of a tri-partite project working group.

Design Work

The project aims to replace the two existing freight vessels with an improved design, adding freight capacity, reducing passage time, and potentially adding some flexible passenger-carrying capacity. We are currently at the concept design stage and moving towards the preparation of gaining funding. CMAL is working closely with naval architect consultants, Leadship.

New vessel concept, courtesy of Leadship. The design is currently in development and not final.

CMAL, Leadship, and Northlink have been working closely with the MARIN institute to simulate the vessel entering and departing from the Port of Aberdeen to optimise the vessels’ design.

The next steps of the design loop are to identify the fuel and propulsion options.

Stakeholder and Community Engagement

As the project progresses, engagement events will be held to ensure that all key stakeholders are able to contribute to the project’s outcome. We plan to engage directly with Northern Isles interests with dedicated drop-in sessions planned in Orkney and Shetland. CMAL will work closely with Northlink Ferries to identify the optimum locations for the sessions. Timescales for this will be confirmed in due course.

Funding and Timescales

As per Transport Scotland’s Vessels and Ports Plan, funding for the replacement NIFS freight vessels is expected in Phase 2 of the plan (2026 to 2031); however, delivery of these vessels is not expected before 2028.

The Scottish Government is supportive of the Northern Isles Freight Vessel Replacement Project. The procurement and construction timelines of the project are subject to the completion of appropriate business case processes, availability of funding, and approvals from Scottish Ministers. However, given wider pressures on public funding, there is currently no funding allocated for future stages of this project, and the funding position is extremely challenging, which may impact the planned timeline to take forward procurement.

Second-Hand Tonnage

CMAL has been actively looking to purchase second-hand tonnage for the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route, with three vessels taken forward to the purchase stage thus far. Unfortunately, it was not possible to conclude the sales in these instances. CMAL continues to explore the market for additional second-hand tonnage that could enhance current services and provide additional resilience to the fleet.

Contact Us

Questions and comments regarding the project can be emailed to nifv@cmassets.co.uk