BC Ferries held a naming ceremony on Thursday for the second and third SalishClass vessels at Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland.
The Salish Eagle and Salish Raven will be capable of running as dual-fuel on either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or ultra-low sulphur diesel.
Using natural gas for the Salish-Class vessels will result in the reduction of an estimated 9,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, the same as taking approximately 1,900 passenger vehicles off the road annually, BC Ferries said in a statement.
Plus, natural gas is “cheaper than marine diesel, which will reduce operating costs,” the company said.
The 107-metre Salish-Class ferries will carry 145 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew. There are two car decks and each ferry has a service speed of 15.5 knots. The service life of each vessel is approximately 40 years.
The first vessel, the Salish Orca, is planned to arrive in the Canadian province of British Columbia by the end of this year. The Salish Eagle is expected to arrive early in 2017 and the Salish Raven is expected to arrive shortly thereafter in the spring of 2017, BC Ferries said.
All three vessels are planned to be in operation in the summer of 2017.
The Salish Orca will sail on the Comox – Powell River route. The Salish Eagle and Salish Raven will provide service to the Southern Gulf Islands.