FERGUSON Marine are sailing towards a milestone on their massive £97m contract to build two innovative ‘hybrid’ car ferries at the Port Glasgow yard.

The first vessel, currently known as Hull 801, is nearing the 75 per cent steelwork fabrication stage, while the second, Hull 802, is not far behind at 60 per cent.

Managing director Liam Campbell says the yard is now entering a stage that will see much of the equipment being delivered to advance outfitting on the slipway and in the module hall.

The 102-metre ships will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil to reduce emissions on the CalMac Arran and Skye ‘triangle’ routes.

Equipment being delivered for them includes dual fuel engines and LNG tanks.

Mr Campbell said: “These vessels, although complex, allow the yard invaluable experience in LNG vessels and, mixed with the experience we have gained in previous hybrid propulsion builds, puts us in a great position to serve the industry with state of the art ships.”

Work is also under way on the aluminium superstructure that will form the accommodation blocks of the ships.

They will be highly manoeuvrable and an innovative stern ramp will allow the ships to operate on several routes across the CalMac network.

They are being built for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), who are based in Port Glasgow and own the ferries, ports and harbours used by CalMac.

The first ferry is expected to enter service in the second half of next year, and the second a few months later.