Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) capability for vessels 801 & 802: EIR release

Information requested

1. Does the Scottish Government plan to maintain an operational LNG capability for Vessels 801 & 802 throughout their planned service life (please specify duration), or for a minimum initial operational service period (advise period, if applicable)?
2. Please specify which Scottish ports will be provided with a maintained LNG bunkering capability?
3. What is the fuel usage policy for Vessels 801 & 802 once they enter service i.e. will LNG be the prime usage fuel, or a back-up alternative?
4. What are the estimated additional Though Life Costs (TLC) and hence annual budgeted cost (over and above that associated with MGO) for maintaining an operational LNG facility for the two vessels?

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes.

This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Response to your request
The answer to your questions are as follows

1. This would be a decision for the operator and the commercial viability of the supply, the original design life for the vessels at the outset of the vessel project, was expected to be 30 years.
2. The design of the potential improvement works at Ardrossan Harbour includes provision a LNG storage facility to serve the vessels in the longer term.
3. The principal fuel consumed by the new vessels will be LNG, however as already noted the vessels are of a dual fuel design meaning that Marine Gas Oil (MGO) will be consumed as a ‘pilot’ fuel.
4. LNG is considered a transition fuel to help achieve lower carbon operations and has been used in the shipping and ferry industry for a number of years. At present we do not hold a through life cost as the supply cost of these fuels are subject to change however running on LNG does have a cost benefit, compared to MGO. For example the Ardrossan Brodick route, fuel costs for the new vessels were found to be approximately 22% lower running in dual fuel mode (LNG) for both new vessels.

Additional information regarding the use of LNG and MGO can be found on the CalMac Website in a Q&A link found here LNG Q&A.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.