Question reference: S4W-26207
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 19 June 2015
-
Current status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 July 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25870 by Derek MacKay on 10 June 2015, what deeper water ports the proposed new vessels being procured by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd will serve; what emerging technologies will feature on those vessels, and what steps are being taken to ensure that they will (a) reduce fuel consumption, (b) minimise emissions and (c) drive down operating costs.
Answer
CalMac Ferries Ltd has requested that the new vessels operate initially on Uig Triangle (Uig to Tarbert to Lochmaddy) and to Arran (Ardrossan to Brodick).
Tenderers were required in preparing their bids to consider the reliability required of a lifeline vessel in terms of sea keeping, manoeuvring, mechanical redundancy and machinery availability and also the environmental benefits these vessels are aiming to achieve through careful design, maximising efficiencies, new technologies and innovations. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd is scrutinising, clarifying and evaluating the bids submitted to ensure that the optimum design specification including new technologies and innovations are incorporated to maximise the vessel effectiveness and efficiency.
Emissions are directly related to fuel consumption for the same type of fuel. For example, a 20% reduction in fuel consumption will result in a 20% reduction of CO2, SOx, NOx and particulate matter. An important element to drive down direct operating costs relates to the fuel consumption. Consequently, a key aspect of the vessel design is reducing fuel consumption and emission levels through use of new technologies and innovations.