Ferguson Marine has announced a revised timeline and increased cost forecast for the delivery of the MV Glen Rosa.
According to the company, the vessel is now expected to be substantially complete by the first quarter of 2026, with full sign-off and delivery anticipated in the second quarter of the same year.
The total estimated cost has risen from £150 million to £172.5 million, with an added £12.5 million risk contingency, resulting in a maximum forecasted cost of £185 million. This adjustment follows a comprehensive review of operational plans by Ferguson Marine’s new CEO, Graeme Thomson, who has examined key milestones, resource allocation, and risk factors to ensure the new schedule is both realistic and robust.
Graeme Thomson, CEO of Ferguson Marine, stated:
“This is not the announcement we wanted to be making at this stage and cannot overstate our understanding of the importance of providing realistic handover schedules to support CalMac to provide a more reliable and robust service to the communities it serves.
“No one wants to see the swift delivery of MV Glen Rosa more than Ferguson Marine and we are committed to working hard to ensure the vessel is delivered within this window. We apologise unreservedly to islanders for this additional delay and want to assure everyone that we are working extremely hard to deliver a quality vessel that showcases the skill and experience of Clydebuilt ships. Once delivered, MV Glen Rosa will be transformative for our island communities.”
Ferguson Marine is collaborating closely with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), CalMac, and the Scottish Government to explore ways of improving efficiency. This includes discussions on potential crew activities before formal delivery and implementing weekly review meetings to track progress.
The company also noted that it continues to pursue new contracts to secure the long-term sustainability of the yard, with ongoing discussions with commercial partners.
Previous CalMac ferries had a role in a post nuclear attack plan. I imagine this isn’t taking a similar task on…
A while back the rumours floating around the costs and delays included that someone had dug out the old designs and said “Modernize this!” not realising that design included all those comms and survivability requirements.
I doubt it’s true but that’s where ferry building in Scotland seems to be, where something so crazy can get passed around and given consideration.