By
Alex Smith |
BC Ferries has awarded Polish shipbuilder Remontowa Shipbuilding a contract to build an additional LNG-fuelled Salish-class vessel, scheduled to enter service in the Canadian Southern Gulf Islands in 2022. She will be identical to the previous three Salish-class vessels built by Remontowa in 2016.
“Our Clean Futures Plan is our path to replace diesel fuels with cleaner energy options. While this cannot be achieved in a single step, we are continually seeking energy sources that offer a cleaner, lower carbon-intensity option to displace non-renewable diesel,” said Jamie Marshall, vice president of business development and innovation for BC Ferries. “In our move towards a sustainable future, adopting LNG is one way to reduce our impact on the environment today. This new vessel will be our sixth ship fuelled by natural gas.”
The 107-metre vessel will have the capacity for at least 138 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew. Technology group Wärtsilä will supply equipment for the ships including a Wärtsilä Low Loss Concept power distribution system, 20DF dual-fuel engines and LNGPac fuel storage, supply and control system. The equipment is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2020.
"The decision by BC Ferries to again select Rementowa as the yard, and to opt for Wärtsilä’s proven and well-established LNG propulsion technology, provides clear confirmation of the efficiency of Wärtsilä’s integrated solution concept," said Wilco van der Linden, director of business development for ferry industry at Wärtsilä.
The Salish-class vessels also feature a hull designed to produce a small wake, which is covered in a coating that reduces flow disturbance and environmental leaching. The contract for the construction of the ships is worth approximately CAN$92.3 million (US$69.7 million).