Scotland’s much-touted green ferry project has taken an ironic turn. The MV Glen Sannox, designed as a hybrid vessel using liquefied natural gas and marine diesel oil to reduce emissions, is now responsible for releasing 35 percent more carbon dioxide equivalent annually than the older diesel ferry it replaced on the route to the Isle of Arran.
This environmental setback exposes the complex reality behind the project’s technical design and fuel choice. While LNG reduced emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, it produces significant methane slip unburnt methane escaping into the atmosphere a greenhouse gas with a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. The ferry’s larger size and heavier engines also contribute to the increased fuel consumption.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, the agency behind the project, defended the ferry by citing its larger capacity and revised routes, but experts argue these factors do not fully justify the marked increase in emissions. The project has been marred by delays and cost overruns since its inception in 2015, further complicating its public perception.
Scottish authorities and environmentalists view this as a wake-up call to rethink maritime decarbonization strategies if genuine progress toward climate goals is to be made.
