The storyboards we exhibited at the recent public events are now available to view online:

View storyboards ›

An updated Q&A document has been published following the recent series of SVRP events:

View Q&A Document ›

The presentations shown at the recent SVRP events are now available to view below:

An additional event has been added to the series of SVRP public meetings, the details of which can be found below:

Further to our two public webinars held in August 2022 and February 2023, we are hosting a series of in-person public engagement events over a two-week period from 28th August to 8th September 2023. Please see below the proposed schedule for the events and their respective locations and timings. The public meetings will provide a further update on the new vessels’ feasibility studies. The format of each public event will vary depending on location. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their views and comments and ask questions during the meetings.

Following these events, all material presented will be published on our website, and all questions asked will be recorded in our Q&A document. People will also have the ability to share questions via our dedicated mailbox: svrp@cmassets.co.uk

Below you will also find the presentation, recording and Q&A document from our previous webinars.

If you are interested in attending one of the events, we would greatly appreciate you signing up below and selecting your desired location:

https://www.cmassets.co.uk/attend-svrp-event

Please note that signing up is not mandatory to attend the events but it will help give us an indication of expected attendee numbers for each location.

We look forward to seeing you at the events.

A Q&A document has been published following the second public webinar, which was held on 2 February:

Q&A document (PDF)

Face-to-face public engagement events will be arranged in Q2 2023 to provide further updates on the SVRP. Details of events will be provided in due course.

In the meantime, if you have any further questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us by email at our dedicated project mailbox: svrp@cmassets.co.uk

We held a public webinar on 2 February to share a further update on the SVRP feasibility studies. A recording of the online meeting is available to view:

The meeting slides are available here: SVRP – Public Webinar Presentation – 02 February 2023

A Q&A document will be available in the coming weeks.

If you have any additional queries, please email: svrp@cmassets.co.uk

We are hosting a second public webinar, on Thursday 2 February 2023 between 18:30 and 20:00, to share a further update on the SVRP feasibility studies.

The webinar will take place on Microsoft Teams, and anyone with an interest in the project is welcome to join. Please sign up for the webinar here.

A link to join the webinar will then be sent to you. Please note, participants will be held in a waiting room until the presentation starts.

The meeting will provide a further update on the new vessels feasibility studies. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their views and comments and ask questions during the meeting. A Q&A session will take place at the end of the presentation.

We will be joined by representatives from CalMac Ferries Limited (CalMac) and Transport Scotland (TS). A copy of the presentation, the recording and an updated Q&A document will be available on this project page after the event. Below you will also find the presentation, recording and Q&A document from the first webinar, held in August 2022.

A Q&A document has been published following the community meeting on 31 August 2022:

Q&A Document

We received a large volume of questions during and after the meeting, and it took longer than expected to compile the Q&A document.  We have given them full consideration to ensure responses are robust, with input from several parties for some responses.

Our intention was to carry out a subsequent virtual public meeting at the end of October 2022; however, this will be moved to later in the year so that a more complete update can be provided to communities.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us by email at our dedicated project mailbox: svrp@cmassets.co.uk

We held a public webinar on 31 August to share an update on the SVRP feasibility studies. A recording of the online meeting is available to view:

The meeting slides are available here: SVRP – Public Webinar Presentation – 31 August 2022

A Q&A document will be available in the coming weeks.

If you have any additional queries, please email: svrp@cmassets.co.uk

The concept design and feasibility studies for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) are progressing well, with a collaborative approach between the programme working group (CMAL, CalMac Ferries Ltd., Transport Scotland), naValue and Mott MacDonald. As part of the programme, CMAL and naValue are also working closely with Highland Council and Wallace Stone for a vessel concept design to replace Highland Council’s existing vessels for the Corran – Ardgour route.

CMAL has held two key stakeholder reference group meetings in the past six months to gain initial feedback on the programme. The reference group consists of representatives from the programme working group, HITRANS, SPT, Ferries Community Board, and local authorities (Argyll and Bute Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highland Council, and North Ayrshire Council).

The programme working group is close to confirming the routes in scope for the deployment plan for Phase 1. Once this initial deployment plan is in place, CMAL will carry out wider public engagement on the proposed deployment, and gain feedback on the initial vessel concept design. This is expected to take place via an online webinar during Q3 2022. Details will be posted on this project page nearer the time.

As the programme becomes more detailed and breaks into route specific projects for each small vessel introduction, further stakeholder reference groups will be created at a more local level with selected representatives from all levels of stakeholders. These meetings are expected to take place face to face where practical.

Questions and comments regarding the programme can be emailed to SVRP@cmassets.co.uk.

We are hosting a public webinar to share an update on the SVRP feasibility studies on Wednesday 31^st August between 18:30 and 20:00. 

The webinar will take place on Microsoft Teams, and anyone with an interest in the project is welcome to join.

A link to join the webinar will then be sent to you. Please note, participants will be held in a waiting room until the presentation starts.

The meeting will provide an update on feasibility studies, which have been ongoing throughout 2022. Key considerations in the extensive range of studies have included:

• Emissions and energy efficiency
• Passenger and vehicle requirements – including forecast demand
• Operational and user requirements
• Requirements and arrangements for passengers and crew
• Accessibility
• Reliability, manoeuvrability, and seakeeping
• Port fit, including limitations and improvements
• Shore power

Attendees will have the opportunity to share their views and comments and ask questions during the meeting. A Q&A session will take place at the end of the presentation.

Our team will be joined by representatives from ferry operator, CalMac, and Transport Scotland (TS) to discuss details of the project. A copy of the presentation, the recording and the Q&A document will be available on this project page after the event.

We have appointed ferry design consultancy Navalue to lead the concept design of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP).

Navalue will provide consultancy services for the concept design stage of the programme and will work with us to investigate and evaluate the feasibility of designing low emission ferries to be in line with the Scottish Government climate change commitments.

For more information, read the news release here.

We are commencing a major programme to replace up to seven small “loch class” vessels serving the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network due to operational life expiry. The programme aims to achieve a very substantial renewal of the small vessel fleet during the next 10 years. We are leading the programme, supported by Transport Scotland and CalMac, in a working group.

Phase one

The strategic business case for phase 1 of the programme was approved in late 2020 by the Transport Scotland Investment Decision-Making (IDM) Board. The scope of this first phase covers the following vessels. This will require a series of new builds, but some existing vessels may also be redeployed around the network.

The number of potential routes and communities in the scope of the programme presents different challenges than for a single route project, at least until a provisional deployment plan has been developed.

Appointing naval architects

We have launched a procurement process to appoint a naval architecture consultant. Timelines are still evolving, but the programme is currently on course to move to procurement of the first tranche of vessels in the next 12 months, subject to the completion and approval of an outline business base.

Stakeholder and community engagement

A communications and engagement plan for the programme is being produced to ensure the needs of users and communities are identified and responded to, and as far as is practical and affordable, met both during the design and construction phases and during operation of the vessels once delivered. Although the potential scope of the first phase of the programme stretches much of the length of the CHFS network, our increasing use of virtual meetings and live webinars should ease some of these challenges.

A Reference Group for the programme as a whole will be established with key stakeholders to provide updates and to seek views at the network level. This is likely to include relevant local authorities, regional transport partnerships (RTPs) and third-party port owners.

Low-emission vessels

In line with Scottish Government climate change commitments, the programme will aim to deliver low-emission vessels utilising the latest proven battery and onshore charging technologies. CMAL and CalMac are in the fortunate position of being able to call upon the experience and knowledge gained from the three diesel electric hybrid vessels that were world-leading when launched.

Feasibility studies will be undertaken to establish which ports within the small vessel network have the ability to install the necessary power and equipment to charge the vessels and or accommodate energy storage systems, and the cost of these upgrades. This factor will influence where new vessels are deployed.

The technical developments of this programme will be available for sharing with other public sector ferry and vessel operators.

Vessel standardisation

In line with the statement in the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan (see pg38), the programme will aim to achieve increased standardisation in hull design, propulsion and internal layout as well as improved reliability, resilience, accessibility and capacity.

Best practice and continuous improvement

The programme will take note of lessons learned from other vessel delivery projects, including in particular the hybrid ferries projects, of the 2017 Audit Scotland report into Scottish ferry services, and of the recently published report of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee inquiry into the procurement and construction of ferries in Scotland.

A first independent assurance review of the project, analogous to a Gateway Zero review, has been undertaken by MacWilliams Consulting Limited.  The review team reported a MEDIUM HIGH degree of confidence that the programme will deliver its objectives and meet its requirements in regard to time, cost and quality.  Formal Gateway Reviews will be undertaken at key milestones during the course of the programme.

Phase two

Lessons learned from the first phase of the programme will allow us to address the challenges faced from the reclassification of the Sound of Barra, Sound of Harris and Sound of Iona routes. The vessels and/or infrastructure required for these routes will need to meet higher regulatory standards than the current vessels; “Euro B” rather than “Euro C”. During phase one, we will investigate a vessel design that complies with changed regulatory requirements for the Sound of Iona.

Planning for the replacement of the vessels in the scope of phase 2 will need to begin in good time, through the development of a strategic business case, particularly if significant infrastructure solutions or novel vessel designs are going to be considered among the options.

Design consultant appointed

We have appointed ferry design consultancy Navalue to lead the concept design of the programme. Navalue will provide consultancy services for the concept design stage of the programme, which will see several small vehicle and passenger vessels replaced on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network. CMAL and Navalue will investigate and evaluate the feasibility of designing low-emission ferries to be in line with the Scottish Government’s climate change commitments.

Contact the project team

Questions and comments regarding the project can be emailed to svrp@cmassets.co.uk.