Stena Line is poised to confirm plans for a massive new terminal development on the west coast of Scotland.
An announcement could come as early as the end of next week following a meeting of the Swedish ferry company’s executive board.
Speculation is focussed on a move from Stranraer to a purpose-built passenger and freight terminal capable of handling larger vessels over the next 15 to 2O years.
Stena opened a £37 million new terminal in Belfast in May and is preparing to pour more investment into a similar facility at the Scottish end of the route which handles around 1.2 million passengers a year.
“We have to have room for new ships that we are going to build over a 15 to 2O year period,” a source close to the company said.
“It doesn’t take a genious to work out that having built a big port on one side, we would need another on the other side.”
Stena is taking a long term view on continuing development of ferry travel for both passengers and freight transportation.
Although Irish Sea carryings overall for the year to August showed a six per cent decline in passengers and cars and a three per cent drop in coaches, the company still handled 1.8 million passengers, almost half a million cars and 11,OOO coaches in the period.
It believes a worsening airport experience and public antipathy to paying hidden extras when flying to Ireland with no-frills carriers will continue to help boost ferry traffic.
The new port development comes on the back of a keel laying for the first of two superferries – claimed to be the biggest in the world – due to be deployed in 2O1O on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route.
Stena is investing a total of $58O million on the pair of 63,OOO-ton ships each capable of carrying 1,2OO passengers and 728 cars in addition to trucks.
They will replace two existing 1,OOO-passenger ferries in January and July 2O1O.
by Phil Davies
