A massively delayed ferry for Scotland’s CalMac at the centre of huge political row has taken on its first LNG bunkers.
The LNG-fuelled 7,040-gt Glen Sannox (built 2024), one of two 1,000-passenger ferries contracted at Scottish yard Ferguson Marine, was delivered to Scottish Government ferry-owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets last week — six years later than intended.
Construction started on the vessel and its sister ship Glen Rosa in 2016. The ferries were costed at $97m each and scheduled for delivery two years later.
But the orders turned into a huge political issue for the Scottish government as it was forced to save Ferguson from going into administration in 2019 and costs on the ferry newbuildings quadrupled.
MOLGAS said today it has kicked of its LNG bunkering operations in the UK by completing the first LNG bunkering for the Glen Sannox since the ship was delivered to its new owner last week.
“This project not only represents a significant step forward in the adoption of cleaner fuels in the maritime industry of the UK but also for the expansion of our pan-European supply network for the marine segment to receive (bio) LNG via various supply assets across multiple countries and ports,” MOLGAS said.
CalMac has said it is undergoing a period of familiarisation with the new ferry.
The vessel will serve the Isle of Arran from mid-January.
CalMac is building a further four ferries in Turkey which will have the option for LNG-fuel retrofitting.
