Scottish owner embraces dual-fuel technology

摘要

Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) has opened a new chapter for the UK shipping and shipbuilding industries by ordering two dual-fuel ferries on the Clyde. The 102m ro-pax vessels, entrusted to the resurgent Port Glasgow yard of Ferguson Marine Engineering, have been specified throughout with Waertsilae machinery designed to operate on either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or marine gas oil(MGO). Due for delivery from Q3 2018 onwards, and representing a total contract value of £97 million (US$140 million), the ships will each be laid out for a maximum of 1,000 passengers and will be of drive-through configuration, accommodating up to 127 cars or 16 trucks in various permutations. The design has been developed by UK technical consultancy Houlder so as to be able to operate economically and dependably across a range of draughts and speeds, in keeping with CMAL's stipulations. These have been shaped by the extensive and multifarious nature of the Scottish west coast route network maintained by the associated company and prospective charterer CalMac Ferries.