BELFAST ship outfitter Blu Marnie has secured a £1.6 million contract to undertake a major refit of three ocean liners for the world's biggest ferry operator.
Blu Marine will carry out the work for DFDS in Dunkirk over 30 days next year.
The firm will send 86 workers from Belfast in the first week of January.
The team will then work on shift patterns to cover 24 hours a day to ensure the vessels are ready to resume taking passengers on board as quickly as possible.
The Blu Marine team includes engineers, electricians, tradesmen.
Each of the three DFDS ferries will undergo a transformation of their public facing areas including bars, restaurants, galleries and walkways.
The contract award signals the beginning of a busy 2016 for Blu Marine according to managing director Craig McCoo.
"We are delighted to have been appointed by the DFDS to carry out this work. Our team has a justified reputation in the shipping world for delivering quality work on time, and within budget," he said.
"That is important to our customers. Next year we will be active throughout the UK, in Singapore, the Bahamas and in Australia. Our firm is set for continued growth and all of this will be delivered from our Belfast headquarters."
Blu Marine opened eight years ago and has delivered projects in Northern Ireland as well as throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
The firm has offices in Belfast, Southampton and Hong Kong and plans to open a new office in Singapore next year.
