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Environmentally Friendly Scots Fiasco Ferry Cannot Initially Run 'Green' Due to Fault

1st November 2022
The environmentally friendly ferry cannot initially run on a 'green' basis due to a new fault of the newbuild at the Clydeside shipyard above as seen in recent years.
The environmentally friendly ferry cannot initially run on a 'green' basis due to a new fault of the newbuild at the Clydeside shipyard above as seen in recent years. Credit: HeraldScotland-twitter

One of the Scottish ferries at the centre of a shipyard ferry fiasco could see it lose its green credentials following a new fault.

The Ferguson Marine shipyard which was nationalised in 2019, has confirmed that further issues with the first of two newbuild ferries, the MV Glen Sannox means it will not initially run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Instead the 102m ferry for the Ardrossan-Brodick (Isle of Arran) route will be operating on a diesel, single fuel system for at least the first nine months of its service on the Clyde.

Following this period, the twin funnel ferry may then have to be taken out of service to test its LNG system.

Graham Simpson, the Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister said: “This revelation just adds to the shambles around the building of this vessel which was supposed to be climate friendly."

Both Glen Sannox and the second newbuilding (Hull 802) were hailed as a step towards a greener future for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) Scotland's state owned ferry fleet, as they were to be the first ships built in the UK capable of running off LNG and marine gas oil.

The twin duel-fuel powered ferries were seen as significantly cleaner in addition they would help to reduce emissions levels to meet ambitious Scottish Government targets.

More the HeraldScotland reports on this development at the Port Glasgow shipyard. 

Published in Shipyards
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.