Seaspan eyes LNG conversion expansion

Seaspan Shipyards recently completed a 60-day job outfitting one of TOTE’s Orca class vessels, the North Star with two LNG fuel tanks. 

Victoria Shipyards (VSL) was selected by TOTE Maritime Alaska to carry out the yard production work and docking necessary for the conversion of their two TOTE Orca class vessels to dual-fuel systems.

Seaspan added that the process which is being carried out in four phases will enable the two ships to use LNG as fuel.

Seaspan noted that with the completion of the first phase of the project its shipyards are capable of completing LNG conversion projects with the company’s vice president and general manager of VSL, Joe O’Rourke saying the company now plans to build on this milestone for all LNG related work on the West coast.

The North Star, the first of the two 839-foot-long roll-on, roll-off cargo ships which carry cargo between Anchorage, Alaska, and Tacoma, Washington, arrived at VSL in December, 2017 kicking off the process of converting the diesel engines to dual-fuel systems.

It has completed a 60-day visit to the shipyard and has since returned to Alaska, marking the first voyage outfitted with two new LNG tanks.

Over the next four years, three more conversion periods will be required to finalize the transition of TOTE Maritime Alaska’s vessels to LNG. Each of these conversion periods will take place in the winter.

The conversion of both ships is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2021.