Ferguson Marine

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Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is a shipyard in Port Glasgow on Scotland’s River Clyde. It was founded in 1903 and is the last major shipbuilder on the lower Clyde. Today it mainly builds and repairs ships, especially Roll-on/Roll-off ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), including some hybrid diesel-electric/battery ferries. Since December 2019 it has been nationalised and is now an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.

Origins and ownership
The yard began in 1903 when Ferguson Brothers (founded by four Ferguson brothers) leased the Port Glasgow site. The first ship was the tug Flying Swift (launched 1903). Over the years the yard changed hands several times, with major periods under Lithgows in 1961 and later under different state-linked groups. It moved through many reorganisations and mergers, and by the late 20th century the yard had become Ferguson Marine, after a series of private and public ownership changes.

Challenges and administration
In the 2000s the yard faced difficult times as orders fell away. In 2013–2016 it built three world‑leading hybrid ferries, starting with Hallaig. In 2014 the yard entered administration, and Clyde Blowers Capital bought it for £600,000 and renamed it Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL). In 2015 Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) ordered ferries capable of operating on marine diesel oil or LNG, but delays and disputes followed. In 2019, after ongoing problems with ferry projects, the private owners went into administration. The Scottish Government took over management in August 2019 and completed the nationalisation in December 2019, creating Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd. The government wrote off about £50 million of previous loans.

Recent work and plans
Under a turnaround program, the yard has continued work on current orders, including prefabrication activities and hybrid projects, and has taken on new types of work such as smaller support vessels and components. In 2020 the yard expanded its capacity, leasing a large warehouse at Greenock to consolidate stock. In 2021–2022 the workforce grew again, though progress on the big CalMac ferries Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and Hull 802 (Glen Rosa) faced delays. A new chief executive, David Tydeman, was appointed in 2022, and in 2023 he signalled a plan to reset delivery timetables with aims for Glen Sannox by late 2023 and Hull 802 by late 2024, though delays continued.

Notable contracts
In 2023 Ferguson Marine won an initial contract with BAE Systems to fabricate three steel units for HMS Belfast, part of the Type 26 frigate programme. In 2025 the yard signed another contract with BAE Systems to fabricate three structural components for HMS Birmingham, another Type 26 frigate. The yard remains at the center of political debate in Scotland over the CalMac ferry projects Glen Sannox and its associated vessel.