Long-delayed Glen Sannox ferry finally starts sea trials as Ferguson Marine updates on tests timetable

The Ferguson Marine shipyard confirmed the ferry reached a speed of 10 knots in the Firth of Clyde on Friday in the first major trial of its LNG propulsion system.

The update comes after The Scotsman revealed last week key tests had been delayed by a fortnight because it was taking longer than expected to cool the pipes enough to load fuel onto the ferry.

The delivery date for Glen Sannox is scheduled for mid-October following the setback earlier this month.

There have been four delays to the delivery timeframe since yard chief executive David Tydeman was sacked in March over alleged “performances concerns”, pushing back the completion date over that period by more than three months.

In a statement posted by Ferguson Marine to LinkedIn on Friday, the company said: “MV Glen Sannox's LNG trials are officially underway and off to a good start.

“The vessel is currently sailing in the Firth of Clyde around the Cumbrae Isles at moderate speeds of circa 12 knots using LNG. Over the next three days, MV Glen Sannox will travel up and down the Clyde and surrounding areas, rigorously testing the capabilities of the LNG engines and evaluating the vessel’s manoeuvrability, acceleration and speed. She will return to Inchgreen at approximately 4pm each day.”

The shipyard said acceptance trials were due to start on September 30 and run until October 4.

Problems with completing the LNG system have been blamed for much of the recent delays to the ferry, which is due to enter service on the main Arran route to Brodick in December following post-delivery CalMac trials.

Glen Sannox will be one of the west coast operator’s largest vessels when it enters service, with space for more than 850 passengers and 127 cars on the firm’s busiest service, but is already six years’ late.

The overall price tag attached to Glen Sannox and its sister vessel Glen Rosa will be £400 million - four times the original £97m price tag.

Ferguson Marine confirmed on Wednesday it had successfully completed the process of bunkering LNG onto the Glen Sannox. It took four-and-a-half days to cool the LNG tank to the required temperature of -146C using liquefied nitrogen to complete the process, the shipyard said.

Andrew Milligan, head of engineering at Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow), described the milestone as “highly significant” as he said it was “the first time it has ever been done in the UK”.

“It was a complicated process which required significant safety protocols to be put in place,” he said.

“We experienced some unexpected challenges around this process and, unfortunately, it has had a knock-on effect to the handover schedule.  I’m personally very disappointed about that.

“However, it is important to recognise the significance of what we have achieved. Glen Sannox is a first-in-class vessel, and we are breaking new ground in shipbuilding with this LNG fuel technology.”