CalMac ferry Glen Rosa leaves Ferguson shipyard for final time

Glen Rosa is expected to be handed over to the Scottish government’s ferries body CMAL by the end of the year.

Specialist sub-contractors will carry out much of the remaining construction work, including commissioning the liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion system on the dual fuel ship before sea trials commence this autumn.

Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG) chief executive Graeme Thomson said: : “Moving MV Glen Rosa to Inchgreen Marine Park allows us to achieve two vital strategic goals over the same time period: one focused on delivering MV Glen Rosa as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the other on preparing the yard for essential modernisation works.”

The modernisation plan involves spending some of the £14.2m of investment promised by Scottish ministers more than two years ago.

The shipyard hopes to purchase a semi-automated plating line, new cutting equipment and digital management systems to raise productivity.

“We have already undertaken modest operational upgrades over the past six months and we look forward to starting further projects that will transform Ferguson Marine into a digitally enabled shipbuilding facility,” Thomson said.

“This will make us more competitive, putting us in a robust position to win future work, solidifying the future of the yard and shipbuilding in Inverclyde.”