P&O Ferries, which is part of the Dubai based DP World group, has ordered two 230 metre double ended ferries at Guangzhou Shipyard International in China for its service between Dover in the UK and Calais in France, Ferry Shipping News said in a newsletter.

The Dover base ferry company should not be confused with P&O Cruises, which is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.

The two ships will enter service in 2023 and the contract includes options for two further units that would be delivered in 2024 if ordered. The ships will be double ended, which means there is no need to turn them around at each port. They will be the largest ever ships on the short haul crossing.

The ships are designed with the capacity to be carbon neutral in the future. A double-ended design and two bridges on the ship, meaning that there is no need for it to turn around.

Power management system will allow to close down parts of the ship when not in use and the ships will also feature new shape of hull for the English Channel and azimuth thrusters which increase manoeuvrability of the ship. The naval architects for the project are OSK-ShipTech A/S in Denmark, the report said.