Polish shipyard to renovate B.C. Ferries' two largest vessels for $140 million
A contract to renovate B.C. Ferries’ two largest vessels has been awarded to the largest shipyard in Poland for $140 million. The ferry corporation announced on Thursday that both Spirit-class ferries, the Spirit of Vancouver Island and Spirit of British Columbia, will undergo mid-life upgrades at Remontowa Ship Repair Yard S.A. in Gdansk, Poland so that the vessels can be used for another 25 years.
The bulk of the value of the contract will go towards converting both vessels to dual-fuel so that the ships can operate on liquid natural gas (LNG), which costs less than the current usage of marine fuel to power the four engines in each vessel.
B.C. Ferries says 16% of its $118-million annual fuel budget is spent by the two Spirit-class ferries that serve the high-traffic route between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. Remontowa was selected for its wealth in shipbuilding experience, given that it carries out about 200 ship projects on an annual basis and has worked on LNG fuelled vessels before.
A contract to renovate B.C. Ferries’ two largest vessels has been awarded to the largest shipyard in Poland for $140 million. The ferry corporation announced on Thursday that both Spirit-class ferries, the Spirit of Vancouver Island and Spirit of British Columbia, will undergo mid-life upgrades at Remontowa Ship Repair Yard S.A. in Gdansk, Poland so that the vessels can be used for another 25 years.
The bulk of the value of the contract will go towards converting both vessels to dual-fuel so that the ships can operate on liquid natural gas (LNG), which costs less than the current usage of marine fuel to power the four engines in each vessel.
B.C. Ferries says 16% of its $118-million annual fuel budget is spent by the two Spirit-class ferries that serve the high-traffic route between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. Remontowa was selected for its wealth in shipbuilding experience, given that it carries out about 200 ship projects on an annual basis and has worked on LNG fuelled vessels before.