The transport company has signed a deal with German firm FSG to build the ship, which will be able to carry 1,800 passengers and crew along with 330 freight units, and deliver it before mid-2020. When it is operational, the new ship is expected to replace the MV Ulysses, which will take over from the MV Epsilon, a chartered vessel.
The new ship will be a 50 per cent increase in peak freight capacity compared to the MV Ulysses, said Irish Continental Group.
“This investment underpins the confidence the group has in the markets in which we operate,” commented Eamonn Rothwell, Chief Executive of ICG. “Alongside the recent investment in the MV WB Yeats, (pictured above) it brings our total investment to €315 million for these two vessels designed for our operations on the Irish Sea.
“The construction of a cruise ferry of this size will offer both additional capacity and an enhanced experience for both our tourism and freight customers. This infrastructural investment enhances ‘the bridge’ to the UK and Continental Europe that is a vital part of the continued success of Ireland’s open economy.”
Irish Continental Group (ICG) is a shipping and transport group principally engaged in the transport of passengers, cars and freight on routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.
The company’s Ferries division comprises Irish Ferries, the leading ferry operator to and from the Republic of Ireland and the Group’s ship chartering activities Irish Ferries operates five modern ferries on international routes between Ireland and the UK and between Ireland and France. The principal revenue streams are passenger revenue (travelling with or without vehicles), ro-ro freight, on board and “ancillary sales”.
