Polish Outfitter Wins Interior Work On Seven Scottish Electric Ferries
A ship interior specialist's Polish operation has been selected to deliver turnkey accommodation for seven battery-electric ferries under construction at a Gdansk shipyard for a Scottish public ferry asset owner. The contract was awarded after a competitive international tender involving ten interior companies from across Europe, with the winning bid receiving the highest score following a detailed evaluation.
Under the agreement the contractor takes responsibility for the complete interior package covering both crew and passenger areas, including interior design, furniture production, installation, insulation and all related outfitting required to bring the vessels to a passenger-ready condition. Turnkey scope of this kind places coordination risk on a single supplier rather than the yard, an arrangement that has become common as shipbuilders concentrate on hull and systems integration.
The project will be managed locally by the contractor's operations team in Gdansk, where it has served the interior outfitting needs of local shipyards since 2008. The company's commercial head described the selection as an honour given the strength of the field, and noted that the two firms have worked together over many years, with the award opening the door to further shipbuilding projects between them.
Each of the seven ferries is designed to carry up to 150 passengers, five crew and 24 cars, providing connections between Scottish islands including routes serving the Hebrides. Fully electric propulsion is intended to increase transport capacity while reducing emissions on services that island and rural communities depend on for everyday movement of people, vehicles and freight. Delivery of all seven vessels is planned between 2027 and 2028.
The contract reflects a broader pattern in European shipbuilding, where specialised outfitting has consolidated among a small number of firms working across many yards. The interior contractor has delivered accommodation for more than 1,200 newbuildings alongside numerous refits, working with over 140 shipyards worldwide and employing more than 700 specialists across seven countries, covering vessel types from fishing boats and naval ships to ferries and cruise vessels. For the shipyard, which has built a reputation on technically complex specialised tonnage, subcontracting the interior package allows engineering resources to concentrate on the electric propulsion and energy storage systems that define this series.
