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Tag: Scotland | Ferry Shipping News

Sep 27
2

Scotland: Update Northern Isles Freight Vessels

By | 2024 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

CMAL published an update of the project aiming to replace the two existing freight vessels with an improved design, adding freight capacity, reducing passage time, and potentially adding some flexible passenger-carrying capacity. CMAL say they are currently at the concept design stage and moving towards the preparation of gaining funding.  

As per Transport Scotland’s Vessels and Ports Plan, funding for the replacement NIFS freight vessels is expected in Phase 2 of the plan (2026 to 2031) but not before 2028. 

CMAL has also been actively looking to purchase second-hand tonnage for the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route, with three vessels taken forward to the purchase stage thus far. Unfortunately, it was not possible to conclude the sales in these instances. CMAL continues to explore the market for additional second-hand tonnage that could enhance current services and provide additional resilience to the fleet. 

Source: CMAL 

Caption 

New vessel concept, courtesy of Leadship. The design is currently in development and not final. 

May 31
2

Green light for Ignazio Messina to purchase Terminal San Giorgio in Genoa

By | 2024 Newsletter week 22 | No Comments

Terminal San Giorgio, a terminal operator of the Port of Genoa controlled by the Gavio Group and the home port for Grimaldi Group’s motorways of the seas to and from Northern Italy, is to be purchased by Ignazio Messina & C. The green light to close the deal has just been given by the Italian Antitrust Authority, which expressed its positive vote but set some specific conditions.

Among them, Ignazio Messina & C., a company jointly controlled by MSC (with a 49% stake), will be obliged to maintain, for the next two years, the same berths, same calls, and some pricing applied up to date to Grimaldi Deep Sea and Grimaldi Euromed’s RoRo traffic.

Last year, Terminal San Giorgio handled 2,350,000 lane metres of RoRo traffic, an increase of 4% compared to 2022.

May 31
2

Scotland: Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract extension

By | 2024 Newsletter week 22 | No Comments

The Scottish Government has extended the current contract for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) by one year. This extension allows more time to complete the due diligence process necessary for the proposed direct award to CalMac. The final decision on the contract award is pending further complex considerations. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, emphasized the need for thoroughness and assured that a further update will be provided to Parliament later in the year.

For more details, you can visit the official announcement.

May 19
0

Scotland: “Shall we continue to build vessel 802?”

By | 2023 Newsletter week 20 | No Comments

To continue with the delivery of vessel 802 by the Scottish Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow Limited (FMPG) shipyard, the Director General Economy requested Written Authority from the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy on 13 May 2023.

In other words, he asked if yes or no severely delayed vessel 802 should be finished.

[Question in full]

Answer from Neil Gray (Member of Scottish Parliament / Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)

“Delivery of Vessel 802 is in the clear interest of our island communities that the vessel will serve and the community of Inverclyde. It is also in our national economic interest to preserve, enhance and develop our shipbuilding industry.”

[Answer in full]

Mar 17
4

Two new Scottish vessels to be built in Turkey

By | 2022 Newsletter week 11 | No Comments

The preferred bidder has been named for a contract to build two new ferries for Islay, Scotland. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd intends to award the contract to the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, following a 10-day standstill period.

The ferries have been designed by the naval architects of NaValue, in Flensburg.

The new vessels will bring an almost 40% increase vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes, a reduction in emissions and improve the resilience of the wider fleet.

The first vessel is expected to be delivered by October 2024 and will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.

Mar 10
4

Scotland: New vessel for Mallaig-Lochboisdale

By | 2022 Newsletter week 10 | No Comments

The Mallaig-Lochboisdale new vessel project will look to replace the existing ropax LORD OF THE ISLES, aiming “to increase the resilience and reliability of the service whilst reducing emissions.”

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited is hosting an online webinar to share details of both the new Mallaig-Lochboisdale vessel project and Gasay infrastructure project

The webinar will take place on Wednesday 16th March between 19:00 and 20:00 (London time).

Aug 30
0

New £3.5m Fund Launched To Keep Ferries Shipshape

By | 2018 Newsletter week 35 | No Comments

Following a summer of disruption on Scotland’s lifeline ferries, a GBP 3.5million Resilience Fund has been announced by the Scottish Government.

The fund will help to reduce the risk of vessels breaking down and to return them to service quicker if they do.

The aim is to tackle obsolescence on the vessels, which would take the ferry out of service for an extended period of time.

Read more (Transport Scotland)
Feb 22
0

Hydrogen And Wind Power, A Solution For The Scottish Ferries?

By | 2018 Newsletter week 08 | No Comments

Hydrogen manufactured by community-owned wind turbines has been proposed for Scotland’s west coast ferries. The Scottish government has awarded funding for a feasibility study.
The project’s partners include CMAL.
Partners are Ferguson Marine shipyard, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Point and Sandwick Trust, operators of the community-owned Beinn Ghrideag Wind Farm on the Isle of Lewis. The latter is leading the project.

Read More on the BBC Website
Dec 21
0

A summer ferry service between Scotland and Shetland?

By | 2017 Newsletter week 51 | No Comments

A ferry service between Caithness, a county in Northern Scotland, and Shetland has been brought back onto the agenda amid hopes that it could help alleviate concerns over capacity on the current NorthLink service from Aberdeen.
Orkney operator Pentland Ferries and Gills Harbour in Caithness are behind the idea, which would see a ferry run between the top of the Scottish mainland and Shetland during the summer months.
It is expected that the potential service would need financial support from the Scottish Government, which could prove difficult to secure.
Fares on ferries to Shetland and Orkney from Aberdeen are set to fall next year as the Scottish Government introduces a new pricing structure based on a road equivalent tariff variant, but this is expected to cause capacity issues both for passengers and also for freight customers.

Photo: ©Mike Louagie

Source: Shetnews