Motoring Discussion > New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered Green Issues
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn Replies: 22
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 11:32 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Falkirk Bairn
Hybrid ferries (car connection) are world first - ordered by Caledonian MacBrayne from a Clyde Shipyard - Fergusons of Port Glasgow (Near Greenock)

www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/scottish-headlines/hybrid_ferries_are_world_first_1_1944573

This yard has built car ferries for Calmac before but the last couple were built in Poland under EU tendering - some major problems had the ferries out of service for some weeks - maybe this helped Fergusons this time.

This is a return of commercial shipbuilding to the Clyde, the BAe shipyards, nearer Glasgow, only builds boats for the Navy.

Jobs for a few hundred in the yard and their suppliers!!!
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 12:15 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Bromptonaut
The battery bit is a first but there was a diesel/electric Isle of Wight ferry in the post war years. Clyde built too; William Denny. Travelled on her a couple of times as a kid, strange looking ship with width apparently disproportionate to her length.

www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=11696

Ended her days as the last Humber ferry until the bridge opened. Although purchased by Western Ferries for their Clyde service she proved too costly to convert and was broken up at Hull.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 3 Nov 11 at 12:15
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 12:27 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Falkirk Bairn
>>>Clyde built too; William Denny, Dumbarton

Denny's better known ships included Tea Clippers - the most famous being the Cutty Sark.

Now the only Clyde Link to Cutty Sark is the Whisky made by the Edrington Group Head Office, based near Glasgow
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 12:34 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Focusless
Will the hybrid bit really make much difference, especially after taking into account the extra weight of the batteries? I know it sort of works in a Prius, for town journeys...
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 14:01 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Bromptonaut
>> Will the hybrid bit really make much difference, especially after taking into account the extra
>> weight of the batteries? I know it sort of works in a Prius, for town
>> journeys...

Can these vessels charge from a shore supply?

Sconser to Raasay is a pretty short crossing - 30 mins or so - and the boat lays up overnight. Interesting that it now justifies a vessel of this size, not many years ago it used a 6 car single ended vessel derived from a tank landing design.
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 16:48 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - spamcan61
>> >> Will the hybrid bit really make much difference, especially after taking into account the
>> extra
>> >> weight of the batteries? I know it sort of works in a Prius, for
>> town
>> >> journeys...
>>
>> Can these vessels charge from a shore supply?
>>
>> Sconser to Raasay is a pretty short crossing - 30 mins or so - and
>> the boat lays up overnight.
>>

Sounds like it could be a good application for batteries then, short crossings (mind you I wonder how many per day) then an overnight charge.
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New Fri 4 Nov 11 10:26 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Bromptonaut
>> Sounds like it could be a good application for batteries then, short crossings (mind you
>> I wonder how many per day) then an overnight charge.

Having checked thetimetable the crossing is 25 minutes and operates 8 round trips a day with an extra 'on request' late Saturday - probably to do with fuel and food supplies. May be more frequent in the summer.

BBC reports confirm the batteries will be charged overnight from a shore supply
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New Fri 4 Nov 11 10:28 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Focusless
>> BBC reports confirm the batteries will be charged overnight from a shore supply

Makes more sense now.
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 12:37 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Auristocrat
In May of each year we travel to Skye on the CalMac's Loch Coruisk - excellent ferry, built in Devon.
Also travelled on the Lord of the Isles - an older, but larger ferry. Built in Glasgow by Fergusons.
Very good news for the Clyde!!
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 13:04 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - colino
Good news for Fergusons, but surprised they are not using the battery boats for the "inner" routes instead of those awful Polish toys they commissioned.
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 13:46 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Falkirk Bairn
2 Years work / 20% reduction in emmissions

100 x new jobs in addition to keeping 75 working there already
20 x new Apprenticeships

The last commercial boatyard in the UK (according to the BBC Report)
Have all the English yards gone? The Appledores / Vospers / Tyne & Tees?
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 14:04 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - spamcan61
>>
>> The last commercial boatyard in the UK (according to the BBC Report)
>> Have all the English yards gone? The Appledores / Vospers / Tyne & Tees?
>>
I would think Sunseeker in Poole count as a commercial boatyard, must be a few others. Falmouth maybe?
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 13:53 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - lancara
Vaguely on-topic - locally we've just had the first test run of a hybrid train. "The new Alvia S-730 trains can reach 250km/h on high speed tracks, and can be propelled by electricity or diesel on conventional tracks at speeds of 220 and 180 km/hr respectively."

Some good news for UK - "The trains are manufactured by the Spanish company Talgo, and the British company Bombardier."

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New Thu 3 Nov 11 13:56 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Bromptonaut
>> Some good news for UK - "The trains are manufactured by the Spanish company Talgo,
>> and the British company Bombardier."

Hopefully there is some UK content but Bombardier are Canadian.
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 14:32 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - bathtub tom
I'd be interested to know the advantages of this sort of power.

I guess the motors would be mounted in pods, outside the hull, perhaps giving better manoeuvrability over a conventional set-up. What about efficiency losses in converting the diesel power to electric?

I would've thought ship's engines run at an efficient rate for most of their journey, unless they intend using the batteries for manoeuvring at each dock. The ballast of the batteries could be useful.
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 14:37 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Falkirk Bairn

>>
>> I would've thought ship's engines run at an efficient rate for most of their journey,
>> unless they intend using the batteries for manoeuvring at each dock. The ballast of the
>> batteries could be useful.
>>
The batteries weigh 7-8 tonnes, bigger than AAA's
All power is via electric motors - diesel engine charging batteries
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 15:19 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Mike Hannon
Didn't Ferguson used to make car bodies for likes of Rolls Royce many years ago?
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 15:24 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Number_Cruncher
Pressed Steel Fisher
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 15:35 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Falkirk Bairn
>> Pressed Steel Fisher made RR Steel Bodies
>>
>>
PSF made Hillman Imp / Avenger bodies

On a Higher Class of car

PSF also made the P1800 bodies for The Saint's Volvo - the bare steel/waxed body shells came to Grangemouth Docks and were shipped to Sweden
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New Thu 3 Nov 11 15:36 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Mike Hannon
I'm thinking many, many years ago - like perhaps pre-WW1 or the 1920s. Nothing to do with Harry Ferguson.

I've just answered my own question - Ferguson was a Glasgow man but went to New Zealand before 1900 and then California, where he learned the coachbuilding trade. He then went back to NZ and made a name for himself. So same name, same Scotland, different family.
Google is indeed my friend.
Last edited by: Mike Hannon on Thu 3 Nov 11 at 15:40
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New Fri 4 Nov 11 08:20 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Meldrew
They have a large manufacturing facility in Derby which has little work because they tendered too high for some lucrative contract for trains for Thames Link (£1.4 Billion)and are grouching about the outcome.
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New Fri 4 Nov 11 10:32 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Bromptonaut
>> Also travelled on the Lord of the Isles - an older, but larger ferry. Built
>> in Glasgow by Fergusons.
>> Very good news for the Clyde!!

Lord of the Isles and it's slightly smaller Cochranes of Selby built sister Hebridean Isles are two of the nicest ships in the fleet. High set observation lounge towards the stern and a passenger deck outside all the way round the ship.

Standing outside at the front of Heb Isles and watching Scalpay and the Eilean Glas lighthouse slide by (or emerge from the mist) was a ritual on successive holidays to Harris.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 4 Nov 11 at 10:33
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New Fri 4 Nov 11 12:50 
 New Ferries - Diesel/Battery powered - Dutchie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULmYK8zwhsQ&feature=related.

Sound of a nice Ships Diesel.
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