Seaspans First Eco Ferry Arrives from Turkey

Seaspan Canadas Seaspan Ferries Corporation (SFC) has welcomed the Seaspan Swift, the first of two new dual-fuelled/hybrid (diesel, liquefied natural gas and battery) ferries ordered from Turkish Sedef Shipyard.  The new vessel, currently docked at the SFC Tilbury Terminal in Delta, arrived in Canada after an eight-week journey that spanned a total of 10,661 nautical miles following its construction in Turkey. The 148.9-meter ferry, which can accommodate up to 59 trailers, will undergo a series of regulatory inspections and crew training programs throughout December before entering operation on January 2, 2017, SFC said. SFC further said that the Seaspan Swift was successfully bunkered using a tanker truck to deliver LNG onboard the vessel. This type of bunkering operation was the first of its kind in North America, according to the firm. The Seaspan Swift, along with its sister ship the Seaspan Reliant, mark the first vessels added to SFC’s fleet since 2002. The Seaspan Reliant, nearing completion and undergoing testing and trials in Turkey, is expected to arrive in Tilbury in early 2017, the shipping company said. SFC currently operates a fleet of seven ferries out of five terminals in British Columbia and supplies more than 50% of all cargo to Vancouver Island.