Delayed Glen Sannox ferry sets sail for crucial sea trials

Glen Sannox and its sister ship Glen Rosa are the first ferries ever built in the UK capable of running on LNG as well as conventional marine gas oil.

But the technology has added a lot of extra complexity for the Port Glasgow shipyard, and many of the delays have been linked to the LNG systems.

One former Ferguson Marine boss described the challenges of packing the equipment into the tight spaces as more complex than designing a Navy warship.

The most recent delay was caused by difficulties achieving low enough temperatures for the fuel to be loaded at Greenock’s Inchgreen Marine Park, where Glen Sannox has been moored.

Earlier this week, the shipyard announced that after four-and-a-half days of cooling it had successfully completed the refuelling operation.

Andrew Milligan, head of engineering at Ferguson Marine, said: “The successful LNG bunkering is a highly significant milestone as it’s 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.

“We experienced some unexpected challenges around this process and, unfortunately it has had a knock-on effect to the handover schedule.”