The Northern Lighthouse Board, which is the general authority for the Isle of Man, has awarded a £51.8 million contract to a shipyard for a hybrid powered ship.

The state-of-the-art ship comes from Spanish shipyard Astilleros Gondán S.A, a well established and highly respected family business with a track record of delivering quality vessels, according to the NLB.

It will minimise the impact on the environment and bring additional capability to help deal with the effects of climate change.

Mike Bullock, NLB’s chief executive, said: ‘This is a really exciting time for us, and we are delighted we can now take forward our ambitious plans for the build of a hybrid powered aid to navigation tender to replace NLV POLE STAR, which after 23 years of service is rapidly approaching the end of her economic life.

‘The new vessel, which will take the name POLE STAR, will continue to protect mariners and our precious marine environment in Scottish and Manx waters into the 2050s.’

The tender includes a commitment to place over £2 million of contracts with UK suppliers with a requirement for any contract over £25,000 to be advertised in the UK.

There will be ‘substantial’ environmental improvements over its predecessor.

This vessel will enter service in June 2025 and will meet the ambitious environmental targets set out in the UK Government Clean Maritime Plan, whilst future proofing NLB’s ability to deliver its vital safety services over the next 25 years.

lvaro Platero, chief executive and owner of Gondán, said: ‘We take great pride in our reputation as a shipyard specialised in the delivery of tailored vessels that perform even on the most demanding conditions and we are committed to upholding that reputation with the construction of this modern and environmentally friendly vessel.’

Maritime Minister Baroness Vere added: ‘As we continue working to deliver Maritime 2050 and decarbonise, it’s great to POLE STAR will be much greener than its predecessor and make use of innovative technology to reduce emissions.’