Irish Ferries is in talks with Chinese shipyards to build a large ropax to replace a newbuilding facing delays at troubled Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), Chinese brokers say.

Sources in China said the Dublin-based operator has approached both CSC Jinling Shipyard and Avic Weihai Shipyard.

Irish Ferries has been sitting on an order for a 67,300-gt ropax to be delivered in 2020, according to the IHS Maritime database after taking delivery of the 1,885-passenger WB Yeats (built 2018) in December last year.