BC Ferries said that its first LNG-fueled ferry, Salish Orca stopped in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands on Wednesday, November 30 for refuelling and provisioning.
The vessel has now departed the Canary Islands and is en route across the Atlantic Ocean to Panama. The vessel is expected to arrive in Panama in approximately two weeks, depending on weather.
Salish Orca set off on its 10,440 nautical mile journey to British Columbia, Canada from the Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland. It is the first of three Salish Class vessels the Polish shipyard is building for BC Ferries.
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 in early January. The second vessels, Salish Eagle, is expected to arrive early in 2017 and the third LNG-fueled ferry, 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.
LNG World News Staff