P&O Ferries to Order Car-passenger Ferries from Aker Yards

  P&O Ferries have signed a letter of intent with Aker Yards for the building of two 49,000-ton car/passenger ferries at a total cost of 360 million euros ($551 million).

   The vessels would become the largest of their type operating in the English Channel with a length of 210 meters, capable of taking 1,500 passengers and having 2,700 lane meters of vehicle space.

   The intention is to build the vessels in Aker Yards shipyard in Rauma, Finland, with a scheduled delivery of 2010 and 2011. respectively. It is estimated the order will create some 1,800 man-years of work.

   When the contract is finalized, it will be of crucial importance for the whole Finnish maritime cluster, said Juha Heikinheimo, president of Aker Yards' cruise and ferries division, which comprises three yards in Finland and two in France.

Source:Americanshipper