GLEN SANNOX

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry started its sea trials six years late

On Sep 20, the 'Glen Sannox' has officially started its final run of sea trials on the Clyde, with the ferry’s liquified national gas (LNG) engines being formally tested. This marked a crucial stage to finally getting the twin-funnel passenger car ferry towards entry into service. The ÄGlen Sannox' is to serve on the Arran route between Ardrossan on the mainland and Brodick. It was confirmed by Ferguson Marine shipyard that the duel-fuel powered ferry reached a speed of 10 knots in the Firth of Clyde on Sep 20 in what represented the first major trial of its LNG propulsion system. The key tests had been delayed by a fortnight because the newbuild was taking longer than expected to cool the pipes enough to load fuel. The ferry that was originally to have entered service in 2018. The delivery of the 'Glen Sannox' is scheduled for mid-October now.

Ferry successfully loaded with LNG

The 'Glen Sannox' became the first ship in the UK to have successfully bunkered LNG. The fuel was bunkered aboard on Sep 13, following 4,5 days of cooling the LNG tank to the required temperature of minus 146 degrees using liquefied nitrogen, two days later than originally planned, ahead of the next phase of testing. The official handover date for the ship was still Sep 30. Sea trials were now expected to take place on Sep 20, though further trials will be needed after the vessel has been handed over to its new owners, the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, in order to be able to enter service. Load testing will be the next phase of trials to take place. This process involves switching all engines on to ensure they are operating efficiently and to establish the vessel’s propulsion set capabilities. All systems will undergo rigorous testing quayside before the 'Glen Sannox' leaves the port for two to three days to evaluate itl’s manoeuvrability, acceleration and speed.

Delivery postponed again due to problems with LNG pipes

The delivery of the 'Glen Sannox' has been pushed back once again, The Ferguson Marine shipyard was forced to postpone a key test of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system. The shipyard found the process of cooling the pipes to the sub-zero temperatures necessary to load the fuel was taking longer than anticipated. This meant they would no longer be able to meet the deadline for the handover to the ferry-owning agency CMAL by Sep 30. The latest delay was expected to be approximately two weeks. The ship and its sister vessel 'Glen Rosa' were originally due for delivery in 2018 but have faced repeated design and construction challenges. Problems installing the LNG system have been behind some of the repeated delays in delivering the ferries, with the Port Glasgow shipyard dealing with these issues over the past year. Following the harbour trials, the plan is to put the vessel through its paces at sea, stopping and starting several times and carrying out endurance tests. Now six years late, the total bill - including government loans and money paid out before nationalisation - will be £400m, four times the original £97m price tag. The ferry designed to serve the Arran route with CalMac.