On Tuesday, the second of the two long-awaited CalMac ferries being built by a nationalised shipyard was launched. MV Glen Rosa is nearly 3,000 tonnes and will be the heaviest vessel ever to leave the slipway at Ferguson’s shipyard in Port Glasgow. Newly-qualified welder Beth Atkinson named the ship whilst economy secretary Mairi McAllan also attended the launch, due at about 13:30.
Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox are the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel ships ever built in the UK, capable of switching between LNG and marine diesel. Although the ships have faced significant design challenges, recent progress on Glen Rosa has been rapid. Former Ferguson Marine boss David Tydeman said the yard had “captured” the learning from Glen Sannox, and the build was far less problematic. Glen Rosa is about 50% heavier than Glen Sannox at launch, an indication of how much more complete the ship is.
Welder Beth Atkinson launched Glen Rosa with a specially-bottled whisky from Ardgowan Distillery, joined on the podium by four other female apprentices trained at Ferguson’s in the past 10 years. Due to its weight, the launch of Glen Rosa required a very high tide. If the ship did not leave the slipway that week, it would be December before another opportunity to launch in daylight hours.
Both Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa began construction in early 2016, but a plan to build them simultaneously was abandoned later that year. As attention became focused on Glen Sannox, Hull 802, the second ship, remained part-finished on the slipway for many years. Glen Sannox was launched by Nicola Sturgeon in November 2017 in a ceremony also attended by then Transport Minister Humza Yousaf.
It later emerged that steel fabrication had outpaced detailed design work, and a great deal of internal fitting out was still required. The stalemate resulted in the yard falling back into administration in 2019, and it was subsequently nationalised. Glen Sannox has now been moved from the shipyard and is undergoing sea trials before its LNG systems are commissioned. The ship was due for delivery to CMAL by the end of May, but a further delay is expected to be confirmed by the new chief executive shortly
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