Progress on plans to build a new £42 million ferry to replace both the MV Isle of
Lewis and the MV Muirneag will be outlined at a public meeting in Stornoway Town
Hall next Tuesday evening.
There will also be an update on improving harbour infrastructure at Stornoway and
Ullapool.
The new £42 million vessel is to be built in Germany at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft
(FSG) shipyard.
She will be owned by the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) which will lease it to Caledonian
Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). In turn CMAL will charter her to the operator of
the route.
The new 116 metre Roll On Roll Off vehicle passenger ferry will be capable of operating
24 hours a day and will have a capacity for up to 700 passengers, and 143 cars or
20 commercial vehicles. 123 cars and 970 passengers.
Lloyds chose the German shipyard to build the new ship following a number of high
tenders from rival yards.
The new vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2014 and will go into service soon
afterwards.
A temporary ro-ro freight ship will be chartered to cover when the MV Muirneag leaves
service in October 2013. The MV Arrow, which is one being considered, recently tested
out the berth for size.
The new-build ferry should be able to handle heavy weather better compared to the
MV Isle of Lewis existing ships and will have a more fuel efficient hull and machinery.
She will also have a combined mechanical / electrical propulsion drive system giving
extensive system redundancy. This will result in enhanced technical reliability
and allow maintenance work to be carried out without affecting the operation of the
ship, thus minimising down time.
Her bigger capacity means she can carry up to 700 passengers and 143 cars or 20 commercial
vehicles which is a 20% increase in vehicle capacity on the MV Isle of Lewis.
She will go 10% faster than the MV Isle of Lewis, with a service speed of 19.2 knots
compared to 17.5 knots.
CMAL is the Scottish Government company which owns the ships providing ferry services
to the Western Isles. Under European rules the vessels are charted to a the best
operator which successfully bids to run the service.
Public meeting over new Stornoway ferry 21/2/13