The “freighter-flex” design, which is known as the Northern Isles Freight Vessels (NIFV), is being developed by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and naval architects Leadship Design and Consulting and has now been presented to Scottish government ministers and officials. The official procurement process for the two vessels will start shortly, with the aim of placing the newbuilding contract in February 2026.

Transport Scotland believes that the “freighter-flex” option, which will replace the two freight ro-ros on the Northern Isles services, the 1997-built 63-trailer-capacity HELLIAR and the 1999-built 88-trailer-capacity HILDASAY, will be larger and faster vessels and are expected in service in 2029.

The two newbuildings are expected to have a freight capacity of 1,400 lane metres, 40 per cent more than the vessels they will replace, and have a service speed of 20 knots. The exact propulsion system configuration of the new ferries is currently being discussed, but it is known that they will use plug-in shore power in all ports.

This design of the “freighter-flex” vessel is expected to ease pressure on the two 2002-built ro-pax ferries HROSSEY and HJALTLAND that currently maintain the service between Aberdeen, Kirkwall, and Lerwick during the peak season.

There is also a third ro-pax currently operating for NorthLink, HAMNAVOE, operating the much shorter 90-minute service from Scrabster to Stromness on Orkney.

During their normal freight-carrying timetable, the two new ferries would carry just 12 passengers, but this would be able to rise considerably during the peak season to 200 passengers in cabins. However, it has yet to be decided what form of cabin accommodation will be provided.

Locals in Shetland are in favour of “Japanese-style” pods on the new ferries, which would allow single passengers to sleep horizontally, compared to the pods currently used on the two ro-pax ferries used on the route. These pods are basically business class-type reclining seats that you get on long-haul airlines and, according to Shetland islanders, are very unpopular with regular users—something that Serco NorthLink Ferries, the current operator of the routes to the Northern Isles, denies strenuously.

The current design of the new NIFVs features 58 cabins of various sizes, for a maximum of 200 passengers.

Meanwhile, many people on Shetland believe that the new ferries should reinstate the previous weekly call to Bergen in Norway when the Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) operating contract comes up for renewal later this year.

Serco NorthLink Ferries secured the latest NIFS contract in 2019 for six years, worth GBP 450 million. This contract includes an option to extend the agreement for a further two years, at a further cost of GBP 160 million.

The last time there was a weekly ferry service between Shetland and Bergen was more than 20 years ago when P&O Ferries operated the route, although more recently Faroe Islands operator Smyril Line sailed between Bergen and Shetland.

Transport Scotland said that it wasn’t something they were considering as part of the ongoing discussions with parties about the new NIFS contract, but things could change.

© Shippax