Ferguson targets Q3 2022 delivery for first CalMac dual-fuel ferry

In a report submitted to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Ferguson noted how the Covid-19 pandemic and shortages of local skilled labour had introduced further delays into the vessels’ delivery schedules.

In total, the construction of both vessels has been delayed by 15 weeks. As a result, MV Glen Sannox is scheduled to be delivered between July 2022 and September 2022 while the second newbuilding, Hull 802, is scheduled to be delivered between April 2023 and July 2023.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused six months of disruption in 2020 and productivity has continued to be impacted due to a further shutdown in January 2021 and the introduction of additional safety measures. The timeline impact of ongoing disruption has been calculated as seven weeks.

Recruitment challenges since late 2020 have caused a delay of eight weeks. The shipyard noted the shortage of local skilled labour meant it had to meet resource requirements by subcontracting smaller fabrications to Scottish businesses, as well as introducing overseas workers.

The company announced that remediation work on MV Glen Sannox had been completed at the Ferguson shipyard, and that structural work had been completed. This paves the way for the outfitting of the vessel, which includes the installation of 10km of pipework and extensive equipment, plus the creation of public spaces and cabins and full furnishing.

The delays had also impacted the budget of the newbuildings, with Covid-19 related delays introducing additional costs of £1 million. In total, Covid-19 costs amount to £4.3 million, which is treated as an exceptional item and does not affect the overall project budget. The overall project budget remains stable and unchanged at £110.3 million.