Contract Finalized for Two New Ferries for the Little Minch
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) confirmed the signing of the Bank Refund Guarantee (BRG) for two new vessels for the Little Minch routes between Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert (Harris).Work to build the ferries will now begin at Cemre Marin Endustri A.S shipyard in Turkey, with an expected delivery date for both in June and October 2025 respectively.They will be built to the same specification as the vessels for Islay, which are already under construction at Cemre. Both are currently ahead of schedule.Jim Anderson…
Turkish Yard Starts Construction of Two Ferries for Scotland
Keel laying and steel-cutting ceremonies for two new ferries being built for Scotland's Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) were held this week at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey.The first ferry in the production timeline has had its keel laid, while steel-cutting for the second vessel has also begun – three weeks earlier than planned.The new, 94.8-meter vehicle/passenger ferries will each have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles…
Cemre Selected as Preferred Bidder to Build Two Ferries for Little Minch
The preferred bidder has been named for a contract to build two new ferries to support the communities at Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert (Harris).Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) said it intends to award the contract to the Cemre Marin Endustri A.S shipyard in Turkey, following a 10 day standstill period.In October 2022, The Scottish Government prioritised additional funding to enable CMAL to accelerate plans for replacement vessels. The two new vessels will be built to the same specification as the existing ferries under construction at Cemre for Islay.
Interferry Conference Reviews Issues with Financial Impact
The challenges and opportunities posed by alternative fuels, safety management and social media dominated Interferry’s 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, where a record 370 delegates shared insights on ship technologies, safety issues including cyber security and the customer experience. Attendance at last week’s conference represented 210 ferry operators and suppliers from 27 countries. Mediterranean ferry operators voiced their concerns on meeting the 0.5 percent sulphur emissions cap due in 2020. Minoan Lines managing director Antonios Maniadakis complained that using low sulphur fuel would increase costs by €2 million per year.
38% Fuel Savings for Hybrid Ferry
When Imtech Marine was asked to supply a hybrid propulsion system to the first ever diesel electric, hybrid seagoing ferries to the Scottish state-owned ferry operator, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) in 2011, fuel savings of around 20% were expected, the company said. Following extensive trials Imtech Marine announced that the actual fuel savings with the innovative hybrid system - consisting of diesel electric in combination with battery technology - were up to 38%. CMAL operates 30 ferries on the west coast of Scotland to 18 islands.
