HUELIN-RENOUF is buying a new ship for the Channel Islands-Portsmouth route. The company, the islands’ largest container-shipping line, has signed the contract for the construction of a new vessel, which it said will secure the critical freight-container link with the Hampshire port for decades to come.

The state-of-the-art 85m, 3,600-tonne ship is being designed specifically for operations in Guernsey’s and Jersey’s harbours. Its greater capacity will allow it to carry 148 freight containers and maintain Huelin-Renouf’s capability to transport out-of-gauge cargo.

The ship will be designed and built at the NesseWerft Leer GmbH shipyard in Leer, Germany, and is expected to be delivered in December 2008.

It will replace the existing Huelin Dispatch, which has served the islands faithfully for the last 25 years, carrying many thousands of tonnes of freight from the UK.

‘Placing an order for a purpose-built vessel is a massive and ambitious investment for Huelin-Renouf and underlines our continued commitment to serving the Channel Islands for many years to come,’ said client services director Michael Le Feuvre.

‘With an expected working life of about 25-30 years, the new ship will be dedicated to serving the people and businesses of these islands and will soon become a familiar sight at Channel Island ports.’

* Huelin-Renouf Shipping has been serving the Channel Islands since 1935.

The Huelin Dispatch is the largest container vessel on the UK-Channel Islands route.