United Kingdom-based shipyard Cammell Laird has developed a new bespoke environmental packages for ferries in the shipyard industry following a strong year of trading in the sector.
The shipyard said it had docked 24 ferries between 2013 and the beginning of 2014 and, in addition, had carried out a further 24 afloat repairs for ferry operators. Ferries worked on include both conventional and high-speed vessels in steel and aluminium.
Cammell Laird technical manager Paul Ashcroft said a significant challenge 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 specialised 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."
Mr Ashcroft said Cammell Laird's green package has been developed to be bespoke and address the challenges faced by each individual ferry.
"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.
Cammell Laird has also recently completed a fleet study on a range of vessels for a shipowner to provide work scope and drawings to achieve class approvals for modifications. These are required for future emissions regulations in the North Sea.
Other notable projects from the last year include a conversion and re-power contract from Orkney Ferries to lengthen the vessel "Hoy Head" from 39.5m to 53.3m, as well as the construction and delivery of the two new double-ended 49.95-metre passenger ferries 'Sound of Seil' and 'Sound of Soay' for Western Ferries.