Following a bidding process, British Columbia-based BC
Ferries has awarded Remontowa Ship Repair Yard of Gdansk, Poland a $140 million
contract to conduct the midlife upgrades of two vessels, including the
conversion of both to dual fuel so they can operate on LNG.
The upgrades are scheduled to begin in 2017 and be complete
in 2019.
BC Ferries is planning for Spirit of British Columbia
to be the first ship through the MLU and LNG conversion process and commence
actual conversion from the fall of 2017 through the spring of 2018, and Spirit
of Vancouver Island to follow the following year from the fall of 2018
through the spring of 2019.
The schedule is expected to allow the two vessels, the
largest BC Ferries’ fleet, to be in operation during the summer months when
traffic is at its peak.
Spirit of British Columbia was built in 1993 and Spirit
of Vancouver Island in 1994. BC Ferries said it plans to operate the
two vessels for another 25 years.
Remontowa Ship Repair Yard is the largest ship repair yard
in Poland and ranks among the largest in Europe. About 200 ship projects are
conducted there annually, and the yard is well experienced and proven with
LNG-fueled ships.
These elements, BC Ferries said, factored “heavily” into the
decision of contract award.
“Last fiscal year, we spent approximately $118 million on
diesel fuel of which the two Spirit-class vessels consumed approximately 16
percent,” BC Ferries’ vice president of engineering, Mark Wilson, said. “The
conversion of the two largest ships in the fleet along with the three new
dual-fuel Salish-class vessels currently under construction will go a long way
to help with fare affordability for our customers as LNG costs significantly
less than marine diesel.”
By utilizing LNG to fuel the vessels, the company said it expects
to reduce CO2 emissions by 12,000 tons annually, the equivalent of taking about
2,500 vehicles off the road per year.
In addition to the LNG conversion, safety systems will be renewed
or upgraded including the marine evacuation systems, rescue boats, fire
detection system, public address system and installation of a local water mist
fire protection system.
Planned renewal of navigation equipment, propulsion
equipment components including rudders, steering system, bow thrusters and
propeller blades will also occur during the upgrades.
