Seaspan Welcomes BC Govt’s Decision to Set Up STS LNG Bunkering

Canada-based shipping group Seaspan Marine Transportation has welcomed the British Columbia government’s announcement to support the establishment of ship-to-ship LNG marine refueling services on the west coast of North America.

“We strongly believe that this is a step in the right direction toward creating a lower carbon future and fully support future LNG activities in our province,” Seaspan pointed out.

With this move, the BC government joined the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and FortisBC to set up STS LNG bunkering, addressing the increased need for LNG in the maritime sector.

Premier John Horgan committed CAD 25,000 (about USD 19,100) in support of a study to examine the environmental, competitive and social impact of LNG bunkering.

Five years ago, Seaspan committed to LNG as a viable marine fuel source on the West Coast and has since invested in the technology and logistics to ensure it has a safe source of LNG to fuel the company’s vessels. In addition, Seaspan was among the first companies to establish onboard truck-to-ship LNG bunkering for its new fleet.

Seaspan currently operates two LNG-hybrid fueled RoRo ferries, with two more on order for delivery in 2021. Since introducing these vessels to the company’s fleet, Seaspan has been able to significantly reduce greenhouse gas, sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions.

“The two LNG hybrid vessels currently in our fleet have operated with greenhouse gas emission reductions of over 50% compared to traditional vessels; a large part of which is directly linked to the use of LNG fuel,” Frank Butzelaar, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Marine Transportation, said.

“These results prompted the planned expansion of our fleet of LNG vessels. A commitment to LNG is the right decision for our business and for the environment,” he concluded.