Remontowa converts BC Ferries’ Spirit of Vancouver Island to LNG

Poland’s Remontowa Shiprepair Yard completed the liquefied natural gas (LNG) conversion of the BC Ferries’ ‘spirit’ class vessel.

The Spirit of Vancouver Island has already departed the yard at the end of February 28, following the completion of, what was called a mid-life upgrade (MLU).

The Spirit of Vancouver Island ferry entered Remontowa on October 15, 2018. It has undergone modernization, upgrade and the machinery conversion was completed in February 2019.

Then the ship began her voyage across the Atlantic, the Panama Canal and a passage along the west coast of North America to Richmond in Canada, Remontowa said in a statement.

Its sister vessel, the Spirit of British Columbia has also been converted to LNG by the Polish shipyard.

Both ferries have been equipped with four new dual-fuel Wärtsilä DF main engines and a cryogenic tank. Currently, the ship’s engine room is dual fuel, adapted to be fed both with low-sulfur diesel oil and natural gas (stored as LNG) as the main fuel.

Other upgrades have included the renewal of navigation and propulsion equipment as well as passenger areas.