Construction of the £322 million pair of new ships ordered by P&O Ferries has started with the first steel plate cut by the company’s chief executive Helen Deeble.

The steel cutting ceremony took place in the STX Europe shipyard at Rauma, Finland on Tuesday and triggered building of the largest ferries ever designed for the Dover to Calais route.

The first of the 49,000 tonne ships is due for delivery in December next year and the second in September 2011, replacing the Pride of Dover and the Pride of Calais.

Technical innovations for the new ships include advanced hull shapes to maximise performance with minimal fuel consumption. They will also be the first passenger ferries in the world to comply with the International Maritime Organisation Safe Return to Port requirements, which set new standards for a wide range of ship systems.