A FORMER cargo ship which now transports state-of-the-art motor racing cars around the globe has berthed at Fairlie Quay - and the News has been given a look inside.
Extreme E’s international motor racing circuit sees motor cars being transported all over the globe to some of the most outlandish locations on the planet - and it is all made possible by its floating centrepiece and base, the St Helena.
Motor racing locations include Greenland, Brazil, Senegal and Saudi Arabia - and now Scotland where the vehicles will be racing across barren and challenging terrain in Dumfries and Galloway as the next stop in their global tour, which will be broadcast live on STV.
The Glenmuckloch opencast coal mine site, near Kirkconnel, will host the big race event next month.
Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses spec silhouette electric SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicle) to race in remote parts of the world, such as the Saudi Arabian desert or the Arctic - bringing electric racing to some of the most remote corners of the planet to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems.
And it has attracted X44 Vida Carbon Racing, the Extreme E team founded by seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Prizegiving ceremonies have been held on board the ship while various dignitaries and even world presidents have visited including Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou last year.
Big names involved in the championship include former Formula One race winner Heikki Kovalainen, who has signed for JBXE to drive alongside Hedda Hosås for Extreme E, and 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button.
The 344-foot vessel is used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port of its five race locations, minimising Extreme E’s emissions profile as well as facilitating scientific research through an on-board laboratory.
She acts as the mobile hub for the race events of the Extreme E electric SUV racing series carrying all equipment, including the cars, to the race locations - with all the cars disembarking at Greenock before the St Helena berthed at Fairlie Quay where it will be based till mid May.
The original 20-square-metre swimming pool has been replaced with a Science Laboratory so research can be conducted en route, inviting scientists to apply for space on the ship to conduct research connected to advancing climate science, and five projects have been selected to join the voyage.
There are 62 cabins which can sleep up to 175 people, two lounges, an 80-seater restaurant, a 100-seater exterior deck, an 80-seater presentation area plus capacity to carry 90 20-foot shipping containers. It even has a hospital and medical ward on board with two beds.
A crew of 50 people live and work on board the St Helena over the course of her voyage.
A spokesperson for Extrame E series said: "We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Fairlie for allowing us to berth here during the Hydro X Prix.
"The St Helena is our transport hub, which carries our race cars and logistics around the world, and will be based in Fairlie to an estimated May 22, whilst we build up to the race, which takes place May 13-14, and whilst we re-load afterwards.
"The St Helena is a refurbished former Royal Mail ship which we have given an exciting second life to.
"As part of a major refurbishment and in order to make her more sustainable, we updated all her running systems, interior, and her fuel lines, moving her from heavy marine diesel to light marine diesel."
Some community concerns were raised when a column of black smoke was seen emanating from the ship upon its arrival last week.
The marine gas oil the St Helena is powered by ensures a “significant reduction of sulphur content in the fuel compared to traditional heavy fuel oil used in most ships”.
The spokesperson said: "Although our cars are zero emission, our ship is not as the same stage yet, and this is something we are very honest about.
"Currently, starting and stopping of our propulsion plants does produce bursts of darker emissions, but this is temporary during certain movements.
"We are now at stage two of the ship’s refurbishment and are examining possible partners who can test low emission technology on the St Helena, for example hydrogen and batteries, which will enable us to address this long-term.
"She was constructed here in Scotland, and was well built to last far longer than many vessels of today.
"We use very little fuel, and she runs very efficiently at sea, on just one engine, and whilst settled alongside you should notice very little in the way of emissions.
"Of course, our priority here at Extreme E is sustainability and minimising our impact on the environment wherever possible.
"Ship freight does allow us to create 70 per cent less carbon emissions when compared to air freight, and as a championship we have many other measures in place to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as offsetting for the emissions we do create.
"We are very proud of the platform and innovations we have put in place so far in our first few years as a championship, but we are aware there are improvements still to be made, and are working to address them."
Alejandro Agag, CEO and founder of Extreme E, said: “It’s fantastic to see the St Helena’s safe arrival in Scotland, which marks a huge milestone in our preparations for Extreme E’s next round – the Hydro X Prix.
“The UK is where Extreme E’s global voyage began and although we are an international championship it is always important to return to our roots.
"Racing in Scotland is going to be unique experience with a backdrop and setting like no other so far in the championship.
“It is going to be an incredible event – with a breathtaking landscape behind some of the fastest drivers in the world battling it out wheel-to-wheel, as well as telling the story of how climate change, and solutions to combat the crisis such as the transformation of this former opencast coal mine into an important source of renewable energy, can be right on our doorstep.”
The St Helena was one of the final two ships to carry the RMS title.
Built at the Aberdeen yard of A&P-Appledore Ltd, and launched in October 1989, she acted as a supply ship and ‘lifeline’, sailing between Cape Town and the remote British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena – a volcanic tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean – between 1990 and 2016.
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