Ferguson Marine: Mairi McAllan will ‘leave no stone unturned’ to secure future for Port Glasgow yard

Ministers will “leave no stone unturned” to secure the future of the Ferguson Marine shipyard which is still completing two massively delayed ferries for CalMac, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Mairi McAllan told MSPs on Tuesday.

She responded to calls for the Port Glasgow yard to be awarded the contract for seven smaller CalMac ferries by stating she would do all she could to secure an order book for the firm, but restated that such direct awards were only permitted in strictly limited circumstances.

Ms McAllan said she expected to receive a revised business plan from the Scottish Government-owned yard by the end of this month after its previous request for £25 million of investment was rejected by her predecessor Neil Gray last year.

Glen Sannox, right, is due to be completed at the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow by June and sister ship Glen Rosa, encased in scaffolding, by September next year. (Photo by John Devlin/The Scotsman)

She said the plan would have to be “deliverable, makes economic sense and meets our legal requirements on subsidy control”.

Ms McAllan said she was “impressed by the passion and commitment shown by the trade unions in making the case for future investment”.

She said she had met union leaders last week when she assured them that “ministers will leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing a future for the yard and shipbuilding on the Clyde.

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The cabinet secretary acknowledged the yard “has been grappling with complex and varied legacy issues, some of which go back many years”, in a reference to major construction mistakes made on what will be among CalMac’s largest ferries by previous managements.

However, she said: “I am also determined to do all I can to support the shipyard to secure a route to a sustainable future.

"I don’t underestimate the challenges involved but the yard is incredibly significant to the local, regional and national economy of Scotland and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure it remains so.”

Glen Sannox is now due to be finished by June and sister ship Glen Rosa by September next year compared to their original 2018 completion date, with the two ferries now expected to cost a total of £400m – some four times their £97m contract price in 2015.

They have been earmarked for the main Arran route to Ardrossan.

Ms McAllan said she was encouraged by the yard board’s increased confidence over completing the ferries but said the level of the cost increases “remains deeply disappointing”

She said her officials were meeting its senior management weekly in an attempt to prevent further increases.

The cabinet secretary said that although Glen Rosa was due to be launched on April 9, it would not be formally named until “a later date”.