John Swinney declares his 'great regret' over Scottish ferries scandal amid latest Glen Sannox delay

Critical trials of Glen Sannox’s novel fuel system have been postponed by a snag, meaning the vessel’s delivery will be delayed by at least another fortnight

The latest in a long series of delays to a late and over-budget ferry is “a matter of great regret”, John Swinney has said.

The Glen Sannox and its sister ship the Glen Rosa are being built at the publicly owned Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow, but have faced years of issues.

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On Thursday, the yard’s interim chief executive John Petticrew said it would not be able to meet the previously announced target of September 30, with a fuel issue pushing the date back by around two weeks.

First Minister John Swinney has spoken about a fresh delay to the Glen Sannox ferry going into operationFirst Minister John Swinney has spoken about a fresh delay to the Glen Sannox ferry going into operation
First Minister John Swinney has spoken about a fresh delay to the Glen Sannox ferry going into operation | NationalWorld/PA

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) required to run the ferries requires a cooling system to keep it around -160C, but the yard has had trouble reaching the required temperature, leading to delays.

The two vessels will eventually serve the west coast of Scotland when they enter service after delivery to CalMac, but were due to be completed in 2018 at a cost of just £97 million.

Six years and hundreds of millions of pounds later, the ferries are yet to be handed over.

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Speaking from Grangemouth on Friday, First Minister Mr Swinney said: “There’s a technical issue that Ferguson Marine have identified about the Glen Sannox, which they believe will take a couple of weeks to resolve, delaying the handover of the vessel from the end of September to the middle of October.

“Obviously, that is unwelcome, but I have been assured the company is focused on making sure it meets this deadline.”

CalMac will have to wait a little longer for the much-delayed and over-budget Glen Sannox after its handover date was pushed back from August 19 to September 30 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)CalMac will have to wait a little longer for the much-delayed and over-budget Glen Sannox after its handover date was pushed back from August 19 to September 30 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
CalMac will have to wait a little longer for the much-delayed and over-budget Glen Sannox after its handover date was pushed back from August 19 to September 30 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Pushed on what ministers can do to ensure there is no further slippage at the nationalised yard, the First Minister said: “The vessels are being built by Ferguson Marine, it’s Ferguson Marine’s responsibility to deliver those vessels.

“It’s obviously a matter of great regret that there has been a further delay and the company has got to be focused on ensuring it delivers the vessels within the time frame that’s been promised, which is vital for islanders.

“Over the course of the next two years we will, of course, boost the ferry fleet by six new vessels as a consequence of decisions taken by the Government.”

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