Ferguson Marine will get working capital to build tugboats amid 2027 work gap

Scotland’s Ferguson Marine is set to receive “working capital” to build a small number of tugboats, Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn told the Scottish Parliament. The funding is intended to cover a 2027 gap in contracted shipbuilding work, after the long-delayed, over-budget Glen Rosa ferry is completed. Flynn said the Port Glasgow proposal offers a “sensible commercial approach” by keeping yard activity alive until new contracts are awarded. He noted robust due diligence is ongoing before any direct contract for four smaller vessels. In August, the yard sought voluntary redundancies, with up to 70 jobs threatened. Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Willie Rennie criticized the government’s legal checks.