Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) has launched the first of two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fuelled ferries designed and constructed in the UK. The MV Glen Sannox was launched on Tuesday 21st November at the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow by Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Construction on the 102-metre ferry started in 2016. Delivery to the customer, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), is scheduled to take place in the winter of 2018/19 after completion of outfitting, berthing trials, sea trials and crew training. MV Glen Sannox, which is planned to be operated on the Ardrossan-Brodick route will be able to transport up to 1,000 passengers and up to 127 cars or 16 HGVs or a combination of both.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
LNG is significantly cleaner and will help to reduce emissions to meet ambitious Scottish Government targets. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at the launch: “These state of the art ferries are more sustainable, therefore contributing to Scotland’s world-leading climate change goals. They are also capable of carrying more vehicles and benefiting the communities that rely on them.”
Gerry Marshall, Chief Executive of FMEL added: “Today is another landmark in the rebirth of Fergusons after Clyde Blowers Capital bought the assets out of administration in 2014. Since then, significant investment has been made into the yard, capabilities and skills. The successful launch of MV Glen Sannox is further confirmation of the vast capabilities we can now offer in Port Glasgow.”
Jim McColl, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Clyde Blowers Capital said: “The successful launch of the MV Glen Sannox marks an important milestone in Ferguson Marine’s journey to becoming a world-class shipyard. As this is the first ferry in the UK capable of being run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil, not only has this been an extremely exciting and ambitious project for both FMEL and CMAL, but it has been an extremely complex one as well.
FMEL and CMAL have worked closely together on the highly challenging engineering issues arising from the unique nature of the dual-fuel ferry project. The experience and knowledge gained during this project will be of enormous benefit to the competitiveness of Scottish shipbuilding in the future as technology continues to develop to meet tightening clean energy legislation.”
Source: Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited
Related articles: Two Dual-Fuel Ferry Newbuilds Planned for the Clyde
