Massively delayed newbuild Glen Sannox has officially started its final run of sea trials on the Clyde, with the ferry’s liquified national gas (LNG) engines being formally tested.
This marked a crucial stage to finally getting the twin-funnel passenger car ferry towards entry into service. The Glen Sannox is to serve on the Arran route between Ardrossan on the mainland and Brodick.
It was confirmed by Ferguson Marine shipyard that the duel-fuel powered ferry reached a speed of 10 knots in the Firth of Clyde on Friday in what represented the first major trial of its LNG propulsion system.
The development comes after The Scotsman revealed last week that key tests had been delayed by a fortnight. This was because the 116m newbuild was taking longer than expected to cool the pipes enough to load fuel onto the ferry that was originally to have entered service in 2018.
A delivery date for operator CalMac is to see Glen Sannox scheduled for mid-October following an earlier setback that has taken place this month. More on the story from the newspaper here.
