The lead bidder for a contract to build seven new electric ferries has been identified by UK transport company Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL).
The company said it intends to award the contract to Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland, following a 10-day standstill period.
CMAL's Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) will see seven fully electric vessels built in the first phase. Three more will be delivered in phase two of the project, which will be procured through a separate competitive tender process to be held later this year.
CMAL said the electric ferries will help to support Scotland's island communities and improve the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.
The company expects to take delivery of the first vessel in 2027.
Following an initial exercise to identify suitably qualified and experienced shipyards, six were invited to tender for the contract, with five yards returning responses.
Bids were assessed against technical and financial criteria, with a 65 per cent/35 per cent weighting, respectively. The panel scoring the bids consisted of third party marine specialists and experts from CMAL.
CMAL said that when scores across criteria were combined, Remontowa Shipbuilding's bid achieved the highest score and was identified as the winning yard.