A shipyard in Turkey has been named as the preferred bidder to build two more Scottish ferries, bringing the number of ferries to be built at the yard for Scotland to four.
Cemre Marin shipyard in Turkey will now be building four ferries for Scotland, with more information on their forecasted delivery dates being made available after the festive period.
The preferred bidder has been named for a contract to build two new ferries to support the communities at Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert (Harris). Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) intends to award the contract to the Cemre Marin Endustri A.S shipyard in Turkey, following a 10-day standstill period.
The two new vessels will be built to the same specification as the existing ferries under construction at Cemre for Islay. This, say CMAL, will speed up the replacement of the major vessel fleet and provide a more standardised vessel type that can be used on various routes.
Jim Anderson, Director of Vessels at CMAL said:
“This is a big step forward in procuring two new vessels for the Little Minch routes to Lochmaddy and Tarbert. These ferries will deliver dedicated services to North Uist and Harris in the peak season, rather than the shared vessel operation currently in place. We will now enter a 10 day standstill period before finalising the contract. We intend to share an update in early January after the festive period with further information, such as forecasted delivery dates.”
In October 2022, The Scottish Government prioritised additional funding to enable CMAL to accelerate plans for replacement vessels.
Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said:
“The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to improving the lifeline ferry fleet and better meeting the needs of island communities, so I’m pleased to see CMAL name the preferred bidder for the two additional ferries. I hope this progress will be welcomed by island communities who depend on these lifeline ferry services.
Our intention is that these vessels will be deployed on the Skye triangle routes to Lochmaddy and Tarbert, creating the opportunity to significantly increase capacity and resilience by delivering dedicated services to communities in the peak season.
It will also allow consideration of all options to deploy Vessel 802 on an alternative route. All of these options will be discussed with island communities, including potentially operating alongside her sister ship, the MV Glen Sannox, to provide additional capacity to and from Arran in the peak season. It is imperative that island communities have their say in any future deployments. I look forward to continuing engagement through our work on Project Neptune to improve the delivery of ferry services on the Clyde and Hebrides network.”
What about Ferguson Marine on the Clyde?
Due to the result of previous issues at the yard, it’s unable to compete for this work but don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. The Chief Executive of Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, has said that Ministry of Defence work could potentially provide a “solid base” for the future of the troubled Port Glasgow ferry builders.
Mr Tydeman insisted the shipyard was now in much better shape and was ready to re-establish its reputation with new orders.
“We have the opportunity, starting with 802 over the next year, to show we are as good as we were 10 years ago,” he said.
Speaking to the BBC, Tydeman said that the yard has recently secured some new work for BAE Systems, delivering Type 26 frigates. Adding that, Despite the difficulties with the current CalMac ships, the yard is also hopeful of future work for the state-run ferry operator, particularly for smaller vessels similar to ferries the yard has successfully delivered in the past. Tydeman added that seven planned CalMac vessels, along with Ministry of Defence work, could potentially provide a “solid base” of work for the next five to ten years.
“They are exactly in our sweet spot of what we could do well. We’ve just got to price them properly and deliver them on time – and win some hearts and minds to give us that contract.”
Ferries to Frigate parts
On a brighter note for the yard as it exists today, Ferguson Marine had recently said that they intended to work with defence contractor BAE Systems “to re-engage with them as a supply-chain partner” for the eight, complex Type 26 Frigates being built upriver. Ferguson say that this third-party work will contribute millions to the costs of running the shipyard and help sustain workforce skills. Luckily for them, they got the work.
“The FMPG board also approved our acceptance of a letter of intent from BAe for FMPG to re-engage with them as a supply-chain partner for their T-26 programme. This type of 3rd party work will develop during the next 3-6 months, and we have assumed will contribute ~£6-7m to the costs of running the shipyard through to handover of 802 (thus reducing the costs charged to Glen Sannox and 801 in 2023/24 by this amount) and creating work for staff not required on the ferries as commissioning of Glen Sannox progresses through to handover.
Overall, the revised best estimates of costs to complete include assumptions on efficiency improvements, contributions from 3rd party work, allowances for inflationary pressures and other economic factors such as cost of living, energy costs, and, importantly, sensible estimates of contingencies that may be required.”
The third-party work on behalf of a military shipbuilder upriver in Govan requires quality, precision and exacting standards. It’s a very big deal when it comes to sustaining the future of the Port Glasgow yard and it, in my opinion, demonstrates the trust the shipbuilding industry has in the Port Glasgow shipyard.
A brighter, more transparent future
It’s no secret that the two vessels, Hull 802 and the Glen Sannox, will be more than £150m over budget and five years late. The structural completion of Hull 802, which had been scheduled to begin in September 2022, will now happen in late November of this year. With final dry docking and trials finished by the first quarter of 2024, practical completion is now scheduled for the end of December 2023.
All of the above being said, activity at the yard appears to be increasing and if recent statements are anything to go by, I think the transparency the yard now appears to be committed to shows a far more professional situation than the yard’s workforce endured previously. Yes, there are setbacks – massive setbacks actually – but the largest shipbuilder in the country has given them a vote of confidence and that speaks volumes.
The persistent and non stop criticism of the UK Westminster government by the SNP belies their inmitigated hypocrisy, buying ships/boats from what is an acknowledged despotic Erdogan controlled government that is Turkey; have they know shame…no need to reply that was rhetorical.
Still waiting for Nicola’s statement…………….
She was very quiet after the first two were awarded.
The situation at the nationalised Ferguson Marine, must be pretty dire for the SNP not to award this contract…
Ferguson Marine will be partnered to work on the Type 26 project. Fail upwards. I can only think that it is down to time and cost. However, my cynical side just says that the SNP doesn’t want the English to build any of the ferries.
Where in England builds Ferries?
Don’t know about Ferry builders building anything “big”, There’s AP Tyne and Cammell Laird who are capable. I suppose the argument is they are tin hollows not requiring much. However, there’s is/been orders for 8 large ferries in the past 32 months. Wouldn’t that volume not justify a large yard setting up an additional line?
I always see it as a great shame when those billion pound mega cruise liners get built in Germany, The Netherlands and France without a pip from UK yards.
There is certainly a naive believe, North of the Border, that the ‘old enemy’, the very much hated English, cannot build a ship ? Really ?
An English yard can certainly build some of the most advanced nuclear submarines in the world, another English yard has built the most advanced polar research ship in the world, with a gross tonnage of 15,000.
So, lets be polite, and say – it is quite possible that an English yard (active or politically dormant) is perfectly capable of building a tub for ferry use – unlike a certain SNP yard in Scotland.
Apparently she accepts full responsibility AGAIN. No one in Scotland quite knows what it means when Nicola accepts full responsibility. She does it every few weeks from COVID deaths to the Salmond enquiry yet some how she still has a job. 😀
She is coated in teflon- non stick and things seem to just wash off her.
Undercutting their own ship yards with cheap foreign imports. Your right, shameful, SNP speak with forked tounge.
SNP will claim UK yards aren’t the sensible choice even though there’s yards like CL who have built more complicated vessels recently and have built ferries. Secondly they’ll claim there’s no time. Well that ones self inflicted, so through their own incompetence they have to put order offshore. Can you imagine if Westminster had performed in the same way claiming a Scottish yards could not be used because they had not ordered in time.
If a contract that came out of Westminster was awarded overseas rather than to a Scottish yard Sturgeon and that lot would never stop talking about it. 5 OPV’s and 18 frigates awarded or planned for north of the border in the last decade but heaven forbid some Scottish ferries can be built in horrid old England!
Type 45s and two aircraft carriers final assemble and outfitting (
blocks from multiple places)
True. I just cut it off at around 10 years otherwise you could also include Yarrows building T23’s in the 90’s amongst other orders.
Block building, from loads of yards, QEC made sense as the capacity needed was huge.
Block building T45 made a lot less sense as it delayed the upgrading of Govan with a proper hall facility. Yes, I know would still be block but built in the shed next door.
I know. I was pointing out that the final assembly was still in Scotland.
Did any uk yards bid for the ferry work? I can’t find where to see the information about bids.
Not sure, but the cynical side of me says the SNP government thinks it’s far less toxic politically to award contracts to a Turkish company rather than an English one.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy should involve joined up thinking and planning to build a solid foundation of expertise across various sites in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and ensure a long pipeline of work.
Is that your cynical side or your xenophobic one? Like before accusing the SNP of being xenophobic for not using English yards you should like check if there are any English yards and if they bid for the contract.
That fact that your not sure but instantly jumped to an conclusion might suggest your a bit bigoted your self.
You might want to check that out.
I don’t think the SNP awarding ferries is anything to do with anti English. The SNP have there issue with Westminster calling the shots and making decisions that they view as not Beneficial to Scotland. There are contracts awarded by the Scottish government to English companies quite regularly
CL has a 4-year maintenance contract with CALMAC. I guess repair and maintenance are better for long-term business.
Where in England builds Ferries?
Unless I’m mistaken Cammell Laird built a couple of car ferries in the mid 2010’s and a cargo ferry a few years later. That’s alongside RRS Sir David Attenborough and contacts to maintain existing CALMAC ferries and some RFA vessels.
Perhaps there is a good reason why CL didn’t bid or was rejected but if so it’s not been made public.
You must surely admit there’s a lot of SNP chatter when an MoD order is changed or there’s a suggestion it might go to a yard south of the border or to an overseas bidder.
How many Ferries has CL built in the last 30 years? How many Ferries have been built in the UK outside of Scotland in the last 30 years?
We didn’t build a Frigate for 20 years or Carriers even longer. So I really don’t understand what your asking. If your saying because an English yard has not built that type of ship it shouldn’t get the order than thats a very weak argument. Either way CL built the Strangford ferry. One for red funnel and one for western ferry. Build ferries would be technically far less challenging than the Sir Richard Attenborough. The SNP went out of its way to place the original orders with Ferguson even the EU questioned it. Yet they couldn’t do the same for… Read more »
And didn’t the Carriers do well years late and over budget.
Please see the attached link to ships recently built at Cammell Laird (Link)
Other ferries built ferries in England in the past 30 years.
Wight Shipyard (Link)
Appledore –
MV Hoy Head – 1994
MV MV Coruisk – 2005
MV Clansman – 1998
Shannon Dolphin – 1995
Shannon Breeze – 2000
Abels –
Maid of Poole 195-seat Passenger Ferry. (1999).
Spirit of Gosport 300gt passenger ferry. (2001)
Spirit of Portsmouth 300gt passenger ferry. (2002).
Clyde Clipper 125gt catamaran ferry. (2009).
I agree the ships are now desperately needed. Had the planning been better then UK yards could have been approached years ago. Where there’s a will there’s a way as they say. In this case there appears to be no will at all.
When-oh-when will we get someone with an ounce of brains and for sight in Number 10? Unlike Japan, Germany and the USA, we have no national industrial strategy. We have no national infrastructure strategy. We certainly have no bloody national military strategy. How it’s it, the US has ships, both military, auxiliary and civil, in service for 50+ years. Yet, the UK tends to scrap its military and auxiliary inventory on average in 20 years. The US also does what the UK did in having a system where the government loaned money to merchant shipping to build ships. These came… Read more »
100% @Wolf
Betrayal surely.
It really does show the SNP mentality. Wailing about a betrayal to Scottish shipbuilding by Westminster (despite 18 frigates now being built or in the pipeline at 2 sites) but then happily awarding contracts to a foreign yard rather than considering somewhere in England! Cammell Laird has recent experience in this area, where they even checked out as a possible contractor? It’s sad that an attempt as a national shipbuilding strategy is being undermined from within. They will of course happily and greedily accept more MoD work for Ferguson’s if it ever sorts itself out. Ridiculous!
I do want to point out that Cammell Laird does have a maintenance contract with CALMAC. However, your point still stands. I also found this (Link)
So if I have a property maintenance contract does that mean I am able to build houses?
I was just pointing out that CL might not have gone for the bid possibly because they already have a maintenance contract with CALMAC.
Can you list all the Ferries CL has made in the last 30 years please?
CL built 3 ferries and a much more complex ship in the Sir Richrd Attenborough. By Jim’s logic the carriers should have not been built in the UK at all because we didn’t build one for a few decades. Clutching at straws is the frase.
Looks like a new ferry could be constructed at Cammell Laird for Mersey Ferry. (Link) I did like watching the Mersey Ferries and party boat going by, but does the Mersey urgently need new ferries?
Yes, the Mersey ferries need urgently replacing.
They are old, built in the 1950’s, and despite refurbishment and new engines in the 90’s / 00’s, its time for a new fleet.
The current boats engines are harder to get parts for and the design of the boats mean that they cannot be left uncrewed on the river each night – they have to go into dock which adds considerable costs to the service.
Ah I see the logic behind the new gender law. This will now allow the SNP to self ID the Turkish yards as Scottish. (On that note did anybody see the wee lassie show off her Mirkin inside Holyrood yesterday?)
It must be what the people of Scotland want as they keep telling us that the SNP are the backbone of Scotland for the Scots.
No, people in Scotland don’t say that, I lived in Scotland most of my life and never heard anyone say such a thing. Where did you hear that or did you just make it up?
Like the statement does not even make sense, “the SNP are the backbone of Scotland” I think if you said that statement in front of an SNP supporter they would piss themselves with laughter.
Is English your first language?
In think you are nitpicking mate
“It is imperative that island communities have their say….”
Unless you are talking Orkney and Shetland. Again. When it comes to additional freight capacity which is urgently required, suddenly there are no suitable ships available anywhere. As for replacing the current fleet, the promised timetable slips 12 months to the right every year, and recently we find that no capital expenditure funds have been allocated anyway, so its all Lala land.
The SNP strikes again. Will the Scottish people ever see through them?
I cannot believe that Fergusons yard is lined up for T26… after the ferries farce I wouldn’t trust them with building a rowing boat.
I think the last count on hull 801 was 1,000 cables shorter than required… and it’s not looking promising for 802 either
Is this part of the shipbuilding drum beat that we have been very well for the last 10 years?
Mr Whine is back in the house
Just ignore the silly little boy it’s been proved over and over he hasn’t a clue about whatever he ‘comments’ on 🙄
Hello chip, this is shoulder, shoulder, chip!
It strikes me that Scotland is now highly dependant on Royal Navy work to keep its shipbuilding going. If the SNP dream of in independence comes true they will not get RN contracts as the navy will give these to English/NI yards. This will cause the demise of Scottish ship building. It is clear that investing so heavily in Scottish yards alone is a mistake and we should build up infrastructure in England. Also we should build facilities for our SSBNs and their armament in England.
Agreed but they already slag off everything about England so we have nothing to loose. It is the SNP and Scottish Independence that is driving uncertainty. The UK MoD cannot be blind to the potential of an independent Scotland and in my view should take sensible measures now against that possibility. It might also wake the Scottish voters up to what they will loose if they leave the union.
Like most folks I want to scream and pull my hair out about the fiasco of Ferguson Ferry builds, it is quite simply incompetent or worse. Someone somewhere should be investigating how those contracts were awarded and where the money has gone. Let the SFO investigate. But that is the past and if they can get those badly need ferries delivered and operating safely then that is getting things back on track I will be content. There are some positives, it has kept a U.K shipyard open, kept U.K. shipbuilding skills alive and even added some apprenticeships. It isn’t all… Read more »
At least they won’t be 5yrs plus late .Could well be sailing before the Clyde build ones will .
HMG should make the construction of all government funded (yes even devolved government funded) shipbuilding subject to the national shipbuilding strategy. Eg they have to be constructed predominately in the UK by the UK for the UK. SNP need to take a long hard look at themselves with this and many many other fiascos. Why are they subcontracting work out to Turkish yards that could and should be UK shipyard provision?
Does anyone know why this whole ferry farrago is *still* not under police investigation, given that Audit Scotland found in late November that £130m of taxpayers’ money cannot be accounted for?
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/23158621.anger-130m-taxpayers-money-lost-scot-gov-run-shipyard/
I remember when the UK built ships for the world.
Now Turkey builds for the UK?