Aluminum vessel designer and manufacturer Austal has signed a $35 million unconditional contract with Guadeloupe-based ferry operator L'Express des Iles.

The contract covers the design and construction of two 47 metre high speed catamaran ferries. One is a vehicle-passenger ferry with a capacity for 364 passengers and 10 cars. The other is a passenger ferry with a capacity for 437 passengers. Both vessels are designed to also carry cargo and will have a maximum speed of more than 32 knots.

The vessels will be built at Austal's Western Australian facility and are scheduled for delivery in mid-2011.

The order has been the third from L'Express des Iles since 1997.

L'Express des Iles Chairman Roland Bellemare said the company's experience with earlier Austal ferries had been the main factor when selecting the supplier for the new vessels.

"The build quality and performance of our previous Austal deliveries has been outstanding. This, along with the high level of customer support we have received over more than a decade, meant Austal was the logical choice," said Bellemare.

Austal chief operating officer Andrew Bellamy said the contract added to the company's history of repeat customer business.

"Maintaining and supporting existing customer relationships is a core focus of Austal. We are very pleased that a leading commercial operator such as L'Express des Iles has again returned to Austal for new-build ferries," said Bellamy.

Austal is also building four 41 metre high speed passenger ferries for the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO) in Trinidad and Tobago, scheduled for delivery later this year.

The company has established service presence in the Caribbean region with its vessel repair and maintenance hub in Trinidad and Tobago.

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