CUTTING-edge technology will be installed to control fuel consumption on the 10 biggest ferries in the Caledonian MacBrayne network in a move which the firm predicts will bring major environmental and economic benefits.
Project Ecoship will mean information collected during each and every sailing is relayed back to head office in a continuous feed.
The publicly-owned ferry operator says that conservative indications are the £450,000 cost of installing the system will be recouped in a year through fuel savings.
In addition there will be a cut CO2 emissions of some 1,800 tonnes. This would be equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 4.3 million miles driven by an average passenger car, or 645 tonnes of waste sent to landfill.
Eight of the 10 vessels now have the system installed and the remaining two will be fitted during annual maintenance periods.
The first ship to receive the new system was the ferry Caledonian Isles on the Ardrossan to Brodick route and data in the first couple of months supports the company’s aims to cut emissions by two per cent.
Using the new technology, the ferries' captains and chief engineer are able to monitor how much oil is being used.
It means a database of fuel consumption can be matched up to parameters like weather, tidal and loading conditions, speed across the water, vessel adjustments and sea state to build a fuller picture.
Crucially, a drop in fuel usage performance can be identified as it occurs and steps taken to make immediate improvements.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: “I warmly welcome the launch of Project Ecoship, which once again shows CalMac is at the forefront of ferry innovation.
"This state-of-the-art technology has the potential to have a significant impact on the fleet’s emissions, cutting its carbon footprint in some of Scotland’s most striking coastlines and sensitive marine environments.
"As well as the environmental benefits, it will also save money for the taxpayer by helping cut down on the amount of fuel used by the vessels."
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