MV Glen Sannox will not be in service till 2024

Arran will not see the MV Glen Sannox in service until the spring of 2024 at the earliest, it was confirmed this week.

 

Following a quarterly update from shipyard Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow (FMPG), Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced last wek that both of CalMac’s new ferries will be further delayed amid design gaps and build errors which will see MV Glen Sannox only being delivered in autumn this year.

 

Destined for the Arran route, MV Glen Sannox, which is already five year’s overdue, was meant to be delivered in spring this year but that date, and that of its sister ship - also being built at the Port Glasgow shipyard - has been extended to autumn 2023 and late summer 2024 for Hull 802.

 

However despite Mr Swinney telling MSPs that that “extensive sea trials of the vessel will be under way as part of the preparation for the handover". A CalMac spokesperson said: “Once the vessel is delivered to CalMac, there is an eight-week period for us to conduct familiarisation and network trials. As such, if the vessel is delivered this autumn, the vessel should be in service for summer 2024.

 

“Sea trials are completed by the shipyard before vessel delivery. We will conduct familiarisation and network trials after delivery before the vessel is introduced into service."

 

And CalMac added that if the ferry was not delivered until the end of the year, “the earliest introduction into service would be March 1 2024”.

 

In the quarterly update to Edward Mountain, convener of Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee of the Scottish Government, Ferguson Marine CEO, David Tydeman, said: “We have just completed a successful dry docking of Glen Sannox during which we removed the rudders, propellers and propeller shafts and installed the ones in stock for Hull 802. This was necessary because during the dry docking last summer we identified corrosion around the stern tubes, and it took time to plan the second docking with several key suppliers essential for carrying out the tasks required.

 

“This delayed the commissioning programme for the main engines and propulsion chain on Glen Sannox and the propellor shafts, hubs and blades which were removed, will now be refurbished by the suppliers, and then used on Hull 802.

 

“As a direct result of the successful dry docking, we have now achieved a significant milestone and have run main engines and turned propellers on Glen Sannox and we can now continue with the commissioning programme of the full propulsion equipment; however, we are now not able to continue to hold to the delivery dates we set out a year ago, March 2022.

 

“Regrettably, we continue to find design gaps and build errors, some dating back over many years, and whilst we are dealing with them successfully as they arise, we are progressing more slowly than planned.”

 

Other work, which is still to take place, includes outfitting the vessel, although, the crew cabins are already nearing completion with carpets laid, beds and furniture installed. Within the month the shipyard hopes to have had main engines running, propellers turning, generators load tested, radars working and the switchboards live.

 

Describing the work and slipping schedules as having a cascading effect on Hull 802, Mr Tydeman reported that some of the learning from Glen Sannox will help with the fabrication of Hull 802, although, rather worryingly, he also said that there may be some time-related increases in the overhead costs in 2024 due to the extension of Hull 802 to later in that year. This will be reviewed later this summer.

 

The news of the delay came shortly after a report by the auditor general of Scotland, reported in the Banner last week,  which currently estimated to cost to build the ferries at £293 million, three times more than the original £97 million budget, with a further estimated £9.5 million required to complete them.