Cammell Laird: Phenomenal Year for Ferry Work

Birkenhead shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird says it has developed one of the most advanced ‘bespoke environmental’ packages for ferries in the shipyard industry, following its strongest year of trading in the sector.

Cammell Laird says it has docked 24 ferries between 2013 and the beginning of 2014 and, in addition, has carried out a further 24 afloat repairs for ferry operators. During 2013 Cammell Laird repaired, built and converted almost 250,000 gross tons of ferry and Ro-Ro ships for a wide range of owners. Already in 2014 it has docked and repaired ferries of 150,000 gross tons. Ferries worked on include both conventional and high speed vessels in steel and aluminium.

Customers include Caledonian MacBrayne, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Irish Ferries, Mersey Ferries, NorthLink Ferries, Orkney Ferries, P&O Ferries, Seatruck Ferries and Stena Line.

Cammell Laird technical manager Paul Ashcroft said ‘a massive challenge and focus’ for the sector moving forward is to find cost effective solutions to the new environmental standards ferry companies have to meet.

“There has never been greater pressure on ferry companies to become greener than now,” he said. “As a result we have developed a highly advanced and specialised new environmental package addressing some of the hardest challenges. This covers carbon emissions, airborne pollution and the spread of aquatic nuisance species, in particular MARPOL Annex VI and the Ballast Water Management Convention, challenges that require considerable pre-planning.”

“There is not one simple solution to suit all vessels,” he said. “Much depends on the type of ship, the geographical trading area, its age and operating profile. This is made harder by stretched ship management resources and the multitude of new, often competing, technologies.

However, because we work on such a variety of vessels Cammell Laird is right at the forefront of these challenges. This has led us to forge excellent links with a wide range of technology providers. Those providers are working closely with our design engineers and naval architects to develop solutions with services ranging from initial feasibility studies to comprehensive turnkey retrofits.”

As an example Cammell Laird has recently completed a fleet study on a range of vessels for a ship owner to provide workscope and drawings to achieve class approvals for modifications. These are required for future emissions regulations in the North Sea.

The vessels are to be modified to allow the Main Engine to primarily operate on Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) rather than Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO). Further projects include feasibility studies for the installation of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (Exhaust Scrubbers) and other eco-economy measures.

“This has been a phenomenal year for ferry work for Cammell Laird,” he said. “We want to win more work in the sector from the Irish Sea and beyond and know we can offer customers many benefits of working with us.”

During 2013 Cammell Laird also built and delivered two new passenger ferries to Western Ferries in Dunoon. “Sound of Seil” and “Sound of Soay” are double ended 49.95m x 13.5m x 4m passenger, vehicle ferries with an open vehicle deck discharging fore and aft to linkspans at Hunter’s Quay, Dunoon and McInroy’s Point, Gourock, on the Firth of Clyde.

Mr Ashcroft said vessels docked, meanwhile, have ranged from the 46m, 611 GT “Royal Iris of the Mersey” to the 209m, 50938 GT “Ulysses” – fully utilising the four docks available at Cammell Laird suitable for all vessel types up to 40m beam.

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Cammell Laird, May 8, 2014