| Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited | |
| Type: | State owned |
| Foundation: | 1903 |
| Location: | Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland |
| Num Employees: | Over 400 |
| Key People: | Andrew Miller, Chair David Tydeman (CEO) |
| Industry: | Shipbuilding |
| Owner: | Scottish Government |
| Products: | Shipbuilding, ship repair and manufacturing |
| Parent: | Lithgows (1961 - 1970) Scott Lithgow (1970 - 1977) British Shipbuilders (1977 - 1989) Clyde Blowers Capital (2014 - 2019) |
Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is a shipbuilding company whose yard, located in Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, was established in 1903. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde and is currently the only builder of merchant ships on the river.
For some years the company's mainstay has been Roll-on/roll-off ferries, primarily for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), including a series of hybrid diesel-electric/battery-powered vessels. Beset with difficulties since 2018 over their latest two CalMac ferries, Fergusons' largest ever vessel, the shipyard was nationalised in December 2019. It is now classified as an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.[1]
The Ferguson shipyard was founded as a partnership by four brothers, (Peter, Daniel, Louis and Robert) who left the Fleming & Ferguson shipyard in Paisley to lease the Newark yard in Port Glasgow in March 1903.[2] [3] The first vessel built by Messrs. Ferguson Brothers in the yard was the tug Flying Swift, launched on 26 October 1903.[4] [5] Ferguson Brothers acquired the freehold in the yard in 1907 and was incorporated as Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd in 1912. The company was purchased by John Slater Ltd (Amalgamated Industries) in 1918 but returned to control of the Ferguson family in the late 1920s. Lithgows Ltd purchased an interest in the business after Bobby Ferguson's death in 1954[2] and took control of the Company in 1961. Ferguson Brothers remained a separate entity within the Scott Lithgow group from 1969 to 1977.[2]
The company was nationalised and subsumed into British Shipbuilders in 1977, then merged with the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company to form Ferguson-Ailsa Ltd in 1980.[2]
Ferguson and Ailsa were separated in 1986 when the latter yard was sold and Ferguson was merged with Appledore Shipbuilders in Devon to form Appledore Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd. By the late 1980s only the Appledore Ferguson yards were still held in state ownership.[6] Ferguson was demerged from Appledore and acquired by Greenock-based engineering firm Clark Kincaid in 1989 then started trading as Ferguson Shipbuilders.[2]
Clark Kincaid itself was acquired by Kvaerner and became Kvaerner Kincaid in 1990,[7] and the Ferguson yard sold to Ferguson Marine plc in 1991. The entire shareholding in Ferguson Marine was acquired by the Holland House Electrical Group in 1995.[8] The sign above the main gate continued the name Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited. After they encountered difficulty in maintaining a flow of work, a Scottish Executive cabinet meeting on 1 June 2005 discussed news that orders for fishery protection vessels and a CalMac ferry had been won by the Remontowa shipyard in Gdańsk. The environment and rural affairs minister Ross Finnie said "If the contracts were awarded to the Rementowa (Polish) yard, there were no other orders in prospect for the Clydeside shipyard and since the launch of its last ship a month previously, the yard had declined to a state that was close to irreversible." The cabinet noted "with concern the outlook for the Ferguson shipyard". In August 2005 Fergusons laid off 100 members of staff, and this was discussed by Finnie at a cabinet meeting. The minutes of the meeting record that "It was difficult to explain to Scottish taxpayers why public funds were being used to buy a vessel from Poland and make redundancy payments to shipbuilders in Port Glasgow."[9]
Between 2013 and 2016 the yard built three hybrid diesel-electric/battery powered ferries, beginning with Hallaig - the world's first.[10]
In August 2014, the shipyard placed the company into administration and the following month Clyde Blowers Capital, an industrial company owned by Jim McColl, purchased the yard for £600,000 and renamed it Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL).[11]
In August 2015, government-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) announced that an order for two ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne service, capable of operating on either marine diesel oil or liquefied natural gas, had been won by Fergusons.[12] Originally intended for delivery during 2018, construction difficulties (the reasons for which are in dispute) led to a two-year delay for the first ship, Glen Sannox, which was launched in November 2017.[13] [14]
FMEL was part of two consortia's bids for the programme for five type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy, worth some £1.25 billion. The consortia are those led by Babcock International and Atlas Elektronik UK.[15] After their bid was selected, a contract was formally awarded to Babcock Group on 15 November 2019, for an average production cost of £250 million per ship and an overall programme cost set to be £2 billion.[16]
On 30 October 2018, FMEL secured a contract to construct a large air cushioned barge for Mangistau ACV Solutions Ltd, part of the CMI Offshore Ltd Group, with estimated completion scheduled in 2019.[17] In December 2018 FMEL announced that two orders worth £5.4 million had been secured from Inverlussa Marine Services for fish farm support vessels, to be completed in May 2019, and that three more for fishing vessels, totaling £11 million, were in the pipeline.[18] [19] Cutting first steel on the Inverlusa order began in early 2019,[20] but by July 2019 the ferry dispute had led to delays in closing the trawler contracts.[21]
Attempts by Clyde Blowers Capital to negotiate with the Scottish Government over increased costs and delays to ferries failed, and on 9 August 2019 the directors of FMEL gave notice that the company would be put into administration.[14] This led to a bitter dispute between the Scottish Government and the former owners of the shipyard.[22] On 16 August Finance Secretary Derek Mackay visited the yard to announce that the Scottish Government would take over management of Ferguson Marine to allow work to continue on current orders, and that if no private buyer could be found in four weeks, the yard would be nationalised by purchase.[23] [24] The government appointed marine engineer Tim Hair as turnaround director.[25] At the start of December, after three private bids to purchase the yard were rejected as being insufficiently favourable to creditors, the government formally took ownership of the shipyard, and in the process wrote off about £50 million of previous loans.[26]
The commercial transaction nationalising the shipyard was completed on 2 December 2019, making it a new business named Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd..[27]
The costs and viability of completing contracts was investigated, and on 22 January 2020 turnaround director Tim Hair told a Scottish Parliament inquiry that the large ferries and Hull 802 were "significantly less than half built", with 95% of their design still to be agreed with the client body Caledonian Maritime Assets. Additional naval architects and marine engineers had been engaged to complete this design work.[28]
The vessels for Inverlussa Marine Services were built in the large prefabrication shed. The 21-metre fish farm workboat was named Helen Rice in a launch ceremony on 27 January 2020 attended by Scotland's finance and economy secretary Derek Mackay, then lifted by crane into the water on 29 January.[29] [30] Sea trials and delivery were completed in March. That month, Ferguson Marine announced that they had taken a four year lease on a large warehouse sited at Greenock waterfront, and would use it to consolidate stock and materials which had been stored in several warehouses near Glasgow Airport.[31] The large air cushioned barge for CMI Offshore Ltd (ordered from FMEL in 2018) was launched on 24 June 2020, to be taken to the Caspian Sea to be completed and outfitted for oil exploration work in that area.[32]
The company's board of directors with six non–executive members, including Alistair Mackenzie as chairman, was appointed in June 2020 by the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop.[33]
In February 2021, the firm announced it would take on 120 additional workers with the intention of operating seven days per week.[34] On 15 March the 26-metre fish treatment workboat for Inverlussa was airbag launched, and named Kallista Helen.
The bulbous bow of Hull 802 was fitted in September 2021, and reported as a landmark in significant progress to both ships, deliveries of which by January 2022 were running up to five years late.[35] [36]
Fergusons had bid for two new ferries to be ordered by CMAL, but was not included on the shortlist to submit detailed tenders.[37] On 16 December David Tydeman was appointed chief executive, to take over from Tim Hair in February 2022.[38]
On 16 March 2023, Tydeman wrote to Scottish Ministers requesting a reset of the timetable for delivery of the two ferries to no later than end 2023 for Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and no later than end 2024 for Hull 802. The shipyard is aiming to delivering earlier – Glen Sannox in autumn 2023 and Hull 802 before late summer 2024.[39]
In May 2023, Ferguson announced that it had secured an initial contract with BAE Systems to fabricate three steel units for HMS Belfast, the third City Class Type 26 frigate currently being constructed by BAE Systems.[40]
| 727 | MV Catriona | Double Ended diesel electric hybrid RoPax Ferry | 11 December 2015 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 43.5 x 12.2m | ||
| 801 | MV Glen Sannox | LNG/marine diesel hybrid RoPax Ferry | 21 November 2017 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 102.4 x 17m | ||
| 802 | MV Glen Rosa | LNG/marine diesel hybrid RoPax Ferry | 9 April 2024 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 102.4 x 17m | ||
| 803 | ACB Argymak | Air Cushion Barge | 24 June 2020 | Mangistau ACV Solutions Ltd (part of CMI Offshore Ltd Group) | 55 x 24m | ||
| 804 | MV Helen Rice | Aquaculture Support Vessel | 29 January 2020 | Inverlussa Marine Services | 21 x 8.35 m | [42] | |
| 805 | MV Kallista Helen | Aquaculture Support Vessel | 15 March 2021 | Inverlussa Marine Services | 26.5 x 12 m | [43] [44] | |
| 806 | Cancelled | RoPax Ferry | N/A | Orkney Islands Council | N/A | Cancelled order, first steel cut October 2019 | |
| 90007 | Hunter's Quay Linkspan | RoRo Ferry Linkspan | N/A | Western Ferries |
| 601 | MV Loch Dunvegan | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 15 March 1991 | CalMac Ferries | 54.2 x 13.4m | ||
| 602 | MV Loch Fyne | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 12 June 1991 | CalMac Ferries | 54.2 x 13.4m | ||
| 603 | MV Star Pegasus | Offshore Supply vessel | 22 January 1992 | Star Offshore Services | 68.83 x 17.5m | ||
| 604 | NLV Pharos | Lighthouse Tender | 11 December 1992 | Northern Lighthouse Board | 78.2 x 14.1m | ||
| 605 | MV Leirna | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 27 August 1992 | Shetland Islands Council Ferries | 32.45 x 10.7m | ||
| 606 | MV Red Falcon | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 18 August 1993 | Red Funnel | 83.6 / 93.2 x 17.5m | Lengthened by 9.6m in 2004 at Remontowa, Gdansk | |
| 607 | MV Red Osprey | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 28 April 1994 | Red Funnel | 83.6 / 93.2 x 17.5m | Lengthened by 9.6m in 2003 at Remontowa, Gdansk | |
| 608 | MV Isle of Lewis | RoPax Ferry | 18 April 1995 | CalMac Ferries | 101.25 x 18m | ||
| 609 | MV Tystie | Tug | 3 August 1995 | Shetland Towage Ltd | 38.37 x 13.92m | ||
| 610 | MV Dunter | Tug | 25 October 1995 | Shetland Towage Ltd | 38.37 x 13.92m | ||
| 611 | MV Red Eagle | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 23 November 1995 | Red Funnel | 83.6 / 93.2 x 17.5m | Lengthened by 9.6m in 2005 at Remontowa, Gdansk | |
| 612 | MV Stirling Clyde | Offshore Supply vessel | 17 May 1996 | Stirling Offshore | 83 x 19.19m | ||
| 703 | MV UKD Bluefin | Dredger | 22 January 1997 | Associated British Ports | 98 x 18.2m | ||
| 704 | RV Scotia | Research Vessel | 4 July 1997 | Marine Scotland | 68.6 x 15m | Named on 21 May 1998 by Queen Elizabeth II | |
| 705 | MV Stirling Tay | Offshore Supply vessel | 16 March 1998 | Stirling Offshore | 82.88 x 19.29m | ||
| 706 | MV Stirling Spey | Offshore Supply vessel | 11 September 1998 | Stirling Offshore | 82.88 x 19.29m | ||
| 707 | MV Stirling Iona | Offshore Supply tug | 28 September 1999 | Stirling Shipping | 73.8 x 16.3m | ||
| 708 | MV Hebrides | RoPax Ferry | 2 August 2000 | CalMac Ferries | 99 x 16m | Launched by Queen Elizabeth II | |
| 709 | NLV Pole Star | Lighthouse tender | 18 April 2000 | Northern Lighthouse Board | 51.52 x 12.1m | ||
| 710 | MV Sound of Scarba | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 12 March 2001 | Western Ferries | 50 x 15m | ||
| 711 | MV Stirling Jura | Offshore Supply tug | 18 October 2001 | Stirling Shipping | 73.8 x 16.3m | ||
| 712 | RV Cefas Endeavour | Research Vessel | 14 August 2002 | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | 72.92 x 16.11m | ||
| 713 | Cancelled | RoPax Ferry | N/A | NorthLink Ferries | 112 x 18m | Ferguson's withdrew order in December 2000, 2 months after the order was announced. Became MV Hamnavoe built in Aker Finnyards, Finland. | |
| 714 | FPV Minna | Fishery Patrol | 3 February 2003 | Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency | 47.7 x 10m | ||
| 715 | MV Sound of Shuna | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 14 August 2003 | Western Ferries | 50 x 15m | ||
| 716 | MV Spirit of the Tay | Passenger Excursion | Shipped 2003 | Loch Tay Steam Packet Co | 35 x ?m | Meant to be for Loch Tay excursions but due to disputes after shipping abandoned by Loch Tay. | |
| 717 | CF Plym II | Double Ended RoPax chain ferry | 3 August 2004 | Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Company | 73 x 20.35m | ||
| 718 | CF Tamar II | Double Ended RoPax chain ferry | 31 August 2004 | Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Company | 73 x 20.35m | ||
| 719 | CF Lynher II | Double Ended RoPax chain ferry | 7 June 2005 | Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Company | 73 x 20.35m | ||
| 720 | FPV Jura | Fishery Patrol | 28 April 2005 | Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency | 84 x 13.1m | ||
| 721 | MV Loch Shira | Double Ended RoPax Ferry | 8 December 2006 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 54.27 x 13.9m | ||
| 722 | MV Arenig Fawr | Suction Dredger | 2007 | Airbus UK | 18.5 x 5m | ||
| 725 | MV Hallaig | Double Ended Diesel electric hybrid RoPax Ferry | 17 December 2012 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 43.5 x 12.2m | World's first diesel electric hybrid ferry | |
| 726 | MV Lochinvar | Double Ended Diesel electric hybrid RoPax Ferry | 23 May 2013 | Caledonian Maritime Assets | 43.5 x 12.2m |
| 572 | MV Isle of Mull | RoPax Ferry | 8 December 1987 | CalMac Ferries | 84.6 / 90.03 x 15.8m | Lengthened by 5.4m in 1988 by Tees Dockyard, Middlesbrough. | |
| 573 | MV Lord of the Isles | RoPax Ferry | 7 March 1989 | CalMac Ferries | 84.6 x 15.8m |
| 491 | MV Isle of Arran | RoPax Ferry | 2 December 1983 | CalMac Ferries | 84.9 x 16.2m | Port Glasgow | ||
| 492 | MV Mwokozi | Firefighting Tug | 18 May 1984 | Kenya Ports Authority | 45.65 x 12.02m | Port Glasgow | ||
| 558 | MV Star Vega | Offshore Supply | 1 November 1982 | Star Offshore Services Marine Ltd | 68.5 x 16.2m | Troon | ||
| 559 | MT Tarihiko | LPG Tanker | 29 March 1983 | Liquigas Ltd | 81.1 x 13.9m | Troon | ||
| 560 | MV Simba II | Firefighting Tug | 21 October 1983 | Kenya Ports Authority | 36 x 10.29m | Troon | ||
| 561 | MV Nguvu II | Firefighting Tug | 31 January 1984 | Kenya Ports Authority | 36 x 10.29m | Troon | ||
| 562 | MV Chui | Firefighting Tug | 5 April 1984 | Kenya Ports Authority | 36 x 10.29m | Troon | ||
| 563 | MV Duma | Firefighting Tug | 28 June 1984 | Kenya Ports Authority | 36 x 10.29m | Troon | ||
| 564 | MV Faru | Firefighting Tug | 5 October 1984 | Kenya Ports Authority | 36 x 10.29m | Port Glasgow | ||
| 565 | MV M.V.A. | Hopper Barge | 11 February 1985 | Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd | 55.5 x 12.3m | Port Glasgow | ||
| 566 | MV Fivla | Ferry | 12 February 1985 | Shetland Islands Council Ferries | 30 x 9.6m | Troon | ||
| 567 | MV Fort Resolution | Offshore Supply | 17 October 1985 | John Townsend Marine Ltd | 65.36 x 13.06m | Port Glasgow | Converted into an Antarctic research vessel in 1988. | |
| 568 | MV Fort Reliance | Firefighting Offshore Supply | 28 March 1986 | John Townsend Marine Ltd | 65.36 x 13.09m | Port Glasgow | Completed by Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd, being delivered in 1989. Converted into an ocean research vessel in 1989. | |
| 569 | MV Seaforth Earl | Offshore Supply | 3 October 1985 | Seaforth Maritime Ltd | 53.88 x 12.22m | Troon | ||
| 570 | MV Seaforth Baronet | Offshore Supply | 7 March 1986 | Seaforth Maritime Ltd | 53.88 x 12.22m | Troon | ||
| 571 | Research vessel | 11 August 1986 | Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food | 53.2 x 13.06m | Troon |
| 460 | MV Gilbert J Fowler | Sludge Carrier | 23 September 1971 | Manchester Corporation | 90.96 x 14.18m | ||
| 461 | DERV Scotia | Diesel Electric Research Vessel | 25 March 1971 | Secretary of State for Scotland | 68.2 x 13.52m | ||
| 462 | NPD Brasilia | No Propulsion Dredger | 7 December 1971 | Portobras | 68.88 x 11.89m | ||
| 463 | MV Consortium I | Sludge Carrier | 29 February 1972 | Manchester Corporation | 90.96 x 14.2m | ||
| 464 | MV St Benedict | Fishing Trawler | 30 August 1972 | Thomas Hamling, Hull | 65.44 x 12.65m | Converted into a Fishing Research vessel in 1987. | |
| 465 | MV Cambrae | Suction Hopper Dredger | 18 January 1973 | Civil & Marine Ltd, London | 93.0 x 16.6m | ||
| 466 | MV Goth | Fishing Trawler | 28 June 1973 | British United Trawlers Finance, Grimsby | 59.75 x 12.53m | ||
| 467 | MV Roman | Fishing Trawler | 11 December 1973 | British United Trawlers Finance, Grimsby | 59.75 x 12.53m | ||
| 468 | MV Sand Weaver | Suction Hopper Dredger | 22 August 1974 | South Coast Shipping Company, Southampton | 91.5 x 16.7m | ||
| 469 | MV Seaforth Jarl | Offshore Supply | 28 March 1975 | Seaforth Maritime Ltd, Aberdeen | 67.37 x 14.0m | Sank off Newfoundland due to shift of cargo of anchor chains in adverse weather on 18 December 1983. | |
| 470 | MV Seaforth Highlander | Offshore Supply | 9 October 1975 | Seaforth Maritime Ltd, Aberdeen | 67.37 x 14.0m | ||
| 471 | MV Gardyloo | Sludge Carrier | 4 February 1976 | Lothian Regional Council | 85.88 x 14.23m | ||
| 472 | NPD M.S.C. Ince | No Propulsion Dredger | 28 June 1976 | Manchester Ship Canal Company | 39.76 x 11.0m | ||
| 473 | MV Thames | Sludge Carrier | 24 September 1976 | Thames Water Authority | 87.41 x 14.61m | Converted to an oil tanker in 1999. Scrapped in Aliaga in 2010. | |
| 474 | MV Clarknes | Bulk Carrier | 5 September 1977 | Jebsens (UK) Ltd | 87.03 x 13.75m | ||
| 475 | MV Clydenes | Bulk Carrier | 30 September 1977 | Jebsens (UK) Ltd / Scandinavian Leasing Ltd | 87.03 x 13.75m | Subcontracted to Scotts Shipbuilding Company, Greenock. Next two vessels in the order cancelled, were meant to be 476 & 477.[50] | |
| 476 | SS Lady Chilel Jawara | Ferry | 29 March 1978 | Gambia Government, Ports Authority | 45.78 x 9.21m | Ran aground then sank in River Gambia on 7 December 1984 | |
| 477 | NPB M.S.C. No. 51 | No Propulsion Barge | 24 January 1978 | Manchester Ship Canal Company | 39.63 x 9.12m | ||
| 478 | NPB M.S.C. No. 52 | No Propulsion Barge | 22 March 1978 | Manchester Ship Canal Company | 39.63 x 9.12m | ||
| 479 | NPB M.S.C. No. 53 | No Propulsion Barge | 26 May 1978 | Manchester Ship Canal Company | 39.63 x 9.12m | ||
| 480 | MV Mlawa | Bulk Carrier | 2 February 1979 | Polish Steamship Co, Stettin | 87.99 x 14.6m | ||
| 481 | MV Zgorzelec | Bulk Carrier | 21 September 1979 | Polish Steamship Co, Stettin | 87.99 x 14.6m | ||
| 482 | MV Auricula | Sonar Trials Vessel | 11 November 1979 | Ministry of Defence, Navy | ? | ||
| 483 | MV Sulisker | Fishery Patrol | 27 June 1980 | Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Scotland | ? | ||
| 484 | MV Donald Redford | Grab Hopper Dredger | 26 November 1980 | Manchester Ship Canal Co. Ltd | 54 x ?m | Lengthened and converted to suction dredging in 1990. | |
| 485 | MT Traquair | Gas Tanker | 21 August 1981 | Anchor Line Ltd | 113.69 x 18.29m | Her aft part was built at Ailsa Shipbuilders, Troon, yard 557. Both were launched on the same day, being completed at Ferguson's.[51] | |
| 486 | MV Flying Phantom | Firefighting Tug | 2 July 1981 | Clyde Shipping Company Ltd | 37.95 x 9.68m | On 19 December 2007, she was girted by bulk carrier MV Red Jasmine and subsequently capsized and sunk on the River Clyde.[52] | |
| 487 | MV Vigilant | Fishery Patrol | 26 March 1982 | Department of Agriculture & Fisheries, Scotland | 71.4 x 11.71m | ||
| 488 | MV Star Capella | Offshore Supply | 23 September 1982 | Star Offshore Services Marine Ltd | 61.5 x 15.51m | ||
| 489 | MV Tirrick | Tug | 1 February 1983 | Shetland Towage Ltd | 37.44 x 11.82m | ||
| 490 | MV Shalder | Tug | 30 March 1983 | Shetland Towage Ltd | 37.44 x 11.82m |
Ferry fiasco - for the Scottish political controversy around the construction of the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.