Post by ferryfast admin on Jan 27, 2006 22:12:57 GMT -5
Northern Isles ferries should be bigger, says study
FRANK URQUHART
The Scotsman
THE ferries which operate the lifeline route to the Northern Isles were yesterday branded two of the "most inefficient and environmentally unfriendly" vessels built in recent years in a new academic study.
A report by Napier University's Maritime Research Group claims that the two NorthLink ferries, which currently sail the route between Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland, the Hjaltland and the Hrossey, should be replaced by larger and more cost-effective boats.
And the research group also suggests that the move to larger vessels would require the ferries to dock at Peterhead instead of Aberdeen when they reach the mainland because the Granite City's harbour would be too small to accommodate them. The report, Future Options for Northern Isles Ferry Services, was commissioned by the local authority-led Northern Maritime Corridor group to establish whether improvements could be made to the existing service.
The Scottish Executive is due to announce the new operator of the heavily subsidised contract for the Northern Isles ferry route later this year.
The report states that the two existing passenger and car vessels only have single freight decks and extremely high fuel consumption costs in relation to the payload. This effectively means the ferries are up to five times less efficient than longer ships of their class. Two other cargo vessels are also used to ship freight to the islands
A spokesman for NorthLink said: "The claim in the report that the vessels are not fit for purpose surprises us. The vessels were designed to the specification laid down by the Scottish Executive. The Orkney and Shetland councils each had significant input to the specification detail."
FRANK URQUHART
The Scotsman
THE ferries which operate the lifeline route to the Northern Isles were yesterday branded two of the "most inefficient and environmentally unfriendly" vessels built in recent years in a new academic study.
A report by Napier University's Maritime Research Group claims that the two NorthLink ferries, which currently sail the route between Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland, the Hjaltland and the Hrossey, should be replaced by larger and more cost-effective boats.
And the research group also suggests that the move to larger vessels would require the ferries to dock at Peterhead instead of Aberdeen when they reach the mainland because the Granite City's harbour would be too small to accommodate them. The report, Future Options for Northern Isles Ferry Services, was commissioned by the local authority-led Northern Maritime Corridor group to establish whether improvements could be made to the existing service.
The Scottish Executive is due to announce the new operator of the heavily subsidised contract for the Northern Isles ferry route later this year.
The report states that the two existing passenger and car vessels only have single freight decks and extremely high fuel consumption costs in relation to the payload. This effectively means the ferries are up to five times less efficient than longer ships of their class. Two other cargo vessels are also used to ship freight to the islands
A spokesman for NorthLink said: "The claim in the report that the vessels are not fit for purpose surprises us. The vessels were designed to the specification laid down by the Scottish Executive. The Orkney and Shetland councils each had significant input to the specification detail."