AND HERE IS THE NEW OFFER TO SOLVE THE FERRY CRISIS…LATEST!

The Ferry Crisis Development Proposal

Our group (Clyde Catamaran Group) led by Dr Stuart Ballantyne, Professor Alf Baird, Peter Breslin of Govan Drydock, Robert Buirds of Save Inchgreen Drycock Campaign, and Ken McArthur of Marine Capital Corp, has offered Scottish Government Ministers a solution to resolve the current crisis affecting our Scottish Ferry Fleet which would involve: –

• Build a new ferry fleet (based on the safest and most environmentally efficient vessels, and well proven designs)
• Save the taxpayer millions (and over a £billion in the long run)
• Increase sailings, capacity, and service frequency/reliability
• Reinvigorate Scottish commercial shipbuilding.
• Create hundreds of skilled jobs and apprenticeships (a dedicated shipbuilding training centre)

Build a new ferry fleet

Stuart will provide the licence for his proven catamaran design which will form the basic vessel design for most of the Scottish ferry fleet encompassing all ship sizes/capacities required. This will replace the CMAL one-off designs (prototype ship) which has been a major flaw in ferry strategy for building the new fleet. One-off design is more expensive as you are starting from scratch which takes added time and money and requires new ship worthiness certification for each new ship.

Stuart’s proven designs removes the time it takes to approve design, planning and certification saving time and money. Proven and more efficient designs also take much less time to build and avoids uncertainties and problems in the shipyard associated with unique unproven prototype construction, which results in added cost and delay, and runs the risk of catastrophic failure as we have seen with the two unfinished CMAL ferries at Port Glasgow.

Saving the taxpayer millions (billions in the long run)

Stable ferry design allows the shipbuilder to develop a conveyor belt production line of vessel section fabrication and a chain of procurement for quicker assembly and delivery. This also allows the builder to manage his strategic priorities and workforce requirements saving time and resources.

Scotland’s ageing obsolete ferry fleet requires around 50 new vessels over the next 15-20 years. At the current rate of build, less than 1 new vessel per year, it would take over 50 years to replace the already outdated fleet.  This is not feasible or acceptable as many ships are already too old and need scrapped, plus cost of ship repair and maintenance is increasing markedly.

Therefore, a quicker method of replacing the fleet is essential. However, there is no coherent plan in place currently to meet any timescale, with CMAL continuing its failed procurement strategy based on in-house poorly specified monohulls which excludes evaluation of the more optimal catamaran option. This failing should be rectified as a matter of urgency.

Stuart Ballantyne standard 50m catamaran ferry design (part of a new 30-vessel fleet for The Philippines)

Proposed ferry shipbuilding programme for Scotland

We propose a 20-year timescale that would see 50 vessels of the proven catamaran design built as follows: –

CalMac

10 x 35m/30 car   = £100m

10 x 50m/50 car   = £170m

10 x 85m/100 car = £250m

Orkney/Shetland internal services

10x 35m/30 car = £100m

10 x 50m/50 car = £170m

That’s a total order book worth approximately £800m (at today’s prices) and 50 vessels delivered in a 20-year timespan. We will also be looking at the export market during this period and to build at least another 10 vessels of various sizes for around £200-300m. That would then amount to an approx. £1 billion investment on the Clyde for 60 vessels over 20 years. 

CMAL, at their present rate of delivery and excessive cost of monohull one off designs would take over 50 years to replace the present fleet at a cost of £2billion+. This is twice the time to build and twice the cost, both of which should be considered as unacceptable. Our proposal would therefore save the taxpayer at least £1 billion and provide for far more rapid and reliable total fleet replacement in half the time.

Importantly, the annual operating cost of more efficient catamarans is around half that of current CMAL monohull vessels. This means that operating subsidies will be expected to reduce as more catamarans begin to enter service. We expect the savings in operating subsidy could exceed £1 billion over the 20-year build programme period, which may be sufficient to pay for much of the fleet replacement with catamarans. 

This means that the entire Scottish ferry fleet of some 50 vessels could in large part be financed via savings over time in operating subsidy, without significant changes in user tariffs or Scottish Government having to find significant additional money. Arrangement of ship lease and/or long-term charter arrangements for new ferries may also further alleviate pressure on public sector finance.

Importantly, the annual operating cost of more efficient catamarans is around half that of current CMAL monohull vessels. This means that operating subsidies will be expected to reduce as more catamarans begin to enter service. We expect the savings in operating subsidy could exceed £1 billion over the 20-year build programme period, which may be sufficient to pay for much of the fleet replacement with catamarans. 

L-R, Peter Breslin, Dr Stuart Ballantyne and Professor Alf Baird

The entire Scottish ferry fleet of some 50 vessels could in large part be financed via savings over time in operating subsidy, without significant changes in user tariffs or Scottish Government having to find significant additional money. Arrangement of ship lease and/or long-term charter arrangements for new ferries may also further alleviate pressure on public sector finance.

Increase sailings and service frequency/reliability

There is a demand from ferry service users for additional services which could be accommodated by our catamaran building proposal. As vessel production increases and ship running costs are reduced, this may allow for further investment in new tonnage from savings made.

We don’t envisage extensive permanent crew accommodation on some of the vessels as we expect the crew will mostly live at home or be accommodated in hotels when required. This has long been common practice in the Northern Isles internal services and elsewhere in Scotland. 

The change in working practices would be beneficial for the crew living at home and there would obviously be discussions with their Trade Union RMT.  

There is also scope for a daily two-shift system on some routes, as with public transport more generally, providing for a longer ship operating day to the benefit of island communities and other users.

However, the demand for a significantly increased service capacity exists and needs to be addressed, as does the urgent need to replace the fleet in a more cost-effective and affordable manner.

Stuart Ballantyne’s 70m catamaran (operating in Orkney, Trinidad, Netherlands etc)

Revigorated Scottish commercial shipbuilding

Both the UK and Scottish Governments recognise that shipbuilding expansion is required, and the UK government produced a report in 2017 by Sir John Parker ‘National Shipbuilding Strategy 2017’ and further refreshed in March 2022. Building the new ferry fleet on the Clyde will complement the strategy and we have started discussions with the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO). 

We will require funding to refurbish both Inchgreen and Govan and will be approaching the NSO fund, UK levelling up fund, Scottish Government, and private investors.

Both Inchgreen and Govan will require investment to upgrade their facilities. Ferguson Marine has been upgraded and will not require much investment if any. Ferguson’s will also be building sections for the ferries that will be floated to Inchgreen and Govan drydocks for assembly.  

Create hundreds of skilled jobs and apprenticeships (a dedicated shipbuilding training centre).

We envisage the plan will require a direct skilled workforce of around 1200.  This will require a dedicated training centre for the project. The new training centre will be sited at Inchgreen on similar lines as the previous successful Scott Lithgow training centre. 

The supply chain will also create many additional jobs around the country and boost the local economies. This will not only reinvigorate the shipbuilding industry but more importantly the Inverclyde and Govan areas which have many social and deprivation issues.

The Clyde Catamaran Group await the response of Scottish Government Ministers to this proposal.

MY COMMENTS

Here is a genuine offer that has the clear potential to provide a clean and effective solution, to the ferry debacle. The advantages? Tried and tested design and much more efficient to build. Cheaper as well and just to put the cherry on the cake these modern ferries operate at around half the running costs of the outdated, inefficient and unreliable CMAL fleet. Let’s hope the battered and bruised Scottish Government grab the opportunity to build the ships the islanders want and need and also grab the opportunity to rebuild shipbuilding on the Clyde building for both the home and export market ferries that are popular, modern and efficient. Give them a reply please, all Scotland is waiting.

I am, as always

Yours for Scotland

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