Tuesday 30 September 2014

Old Firm - New Order



Ferguson shipyard secures ferry contract


 

Some good shipbuilding news to report at last from the recently purchased Ferguson Yard on the lower Clyde in Scotland, news that will keep Scotland’s last commercial shipyard going and with the promise of even more orders things are beginning to look up for the small band of Shipbuilders left on the Lower Clyde.

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The Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow has won its first ferry building contract since being rescued from closure.

Clyde Blowers Capital - owned by the billionaire Jim McColl - bought the yard earlier this month after it went into administration.

It has now secured a £12m contract from the Scottish government to build a third hybrid ferry for CalMac.

More details of the deal will be released later this week.

The yard has previously built two other hybrid ferries - the MV Hallaig and MV Lochinvar - for CalMac.

The new vessel, which will be able to accommodate 150 passengers and 23 cars or two HGVs, is expected to be launched in the spring of 2016, before entering service in the autumn of the same year.

It will use a low carbon hybrid system that combines traditional diesel power with electric battery power and will lead to a reduction in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

For more on the story see the BBC news website