Canadian shipyard starts work on the only LNG-powered ferry to be built in North America
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Canadian shipyard Chantier Davie has laid the keel for Armand-Imbeau II, the first of two LNG ferries under construction for Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ).
STQ’s newbuilds will be the first LNG-powered ferries to be built in North America and will sail year-round on the Tadoussac‒Baie-Sainte-Catherine route on the St Lawrence river in Canada. The two 92m ferries will be able to transport up to 432 passengers and 115 cars or 16 tractor units each.
“Ferry construction is, and has always been, core business for Davie,” said Alan Bowen, Davie’s CEO. “The STQ ferries incorporate many of the technologies that we specialise, such as LNG propulsion, electrical thruster systems and high ice-class hulls.”
Each of the double-ended vessels will be fitted with 20DF engines, electrical power and automation systems, and LNGPac fuel storage and treatment systems from Wärtsilä. The company will also provide its its Control and Communication Centre solution, which integrates bridge, navigation and communication control.
“The two current ferries for the Tadoussac crossing, put into service in the 1980s, marked a new era, mainly with the activation of the gangway from the wheelhouse,” said Jocelyn Fortier, chairman and CEO of STQ. “Even in 2015, we are breaking new ground with the construction of two ferries with green technology and increased capacity. This technology and several other onboard innovations will enable STQ to be on the cutting edge of the maritime transportation of passengers in North America.”