The Cammell Laird shipyard has won a £5.7 million new-build ferry contract from the Northern Ireland Executive. The Birkenhead marine and specialist engineering company was awarded the project after an open procurement exercise that attracted interest from shipyards across Europe. It will construct a new car and passenger ferry to replace the existing MV Strangford, which operates between Strangford and Portaferry in County Down. The new ferry is due to be delivered by August 2016.

Rob McBurney, commercial director of Cammell Laird, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for the construction of the new Strangford ferry. The company has a long tradition of ship building.”

The new ferry will have capacity for 28 cars and 260 passengers; it will share the ferry operation with the MV Portaferry II. Mr McBurney added: “This will provide improved capacity and remove the 7.5-tonne weight restriction of the MV Strangford.”