First hybrid ferry delivered for West Coast cargo service

Cargo coming to Vancouver Island will soon have a lighter carbon footprint, according to the Richmond, B.C. company that supplied the battery system for North America's firsthybrid LNG andelectricity powered cargo ferries.

TheSeaspanSwift, which was delivered this month,will operate between the mainland and Vancouver Island.A second ferry, the Seaspan Reliant, is due for delivery in early 2017.

The battery systems for the two vessels will providebackup powerand areexpected to cut fuel costs and emissions by 15 to20 per cent.

• Lithium battery-powered ships tackle pollution on West Coast

Seaspan says it delivers 50 per cent of all cargo transported to Vancouver Island.

Richmond-based Corvus Energy provided the large lithium-ion battery system for the ferry.

Sean Puchalski, a vice president with Corvus Energy, told On the Island host Gregor Craigiethat the conventional way of ensuring backup power is to have a second generator running all the time.

"Essentially, the ferry has LNG generators for its main propulsion and then it also has what most people would consider a rather large battery bank that serves mostly in this case as a spinning reserve,"Puchalski said.

"It helps to save fuel and therefore emissions and helps to make the vessel safer by providing backup power if necessary."

Battery-only ferries in Europe

Hybrid ferries with a battery storage component are becoming more numerous in Europe, Puchalskisaid.

"There are some battery-only ferries now in Europe but it's still a new thing, even over there."

B.C. Ferry Services is also looking towards hybrid technology for its upcoming purchase of new smaller ferries, spokesperson Deborah Marshall said.

BC Ferries seekshybrid proposals

"We will be looking for a hybrid solution for our new minor class vessels," Marshall said.

B.C. Ferries plans to replacethree minor vessels, the 43 year-old Nimpkish, the 58 year-old North Island Princess and the 52 year-old Howe Sound Queen.

Meanwhile, Marshall said,the first of BC Ferries' newLNG-poweredpassenger vessels, the Salish Orca, is en route to the West Coast and passed through the Panama Canal on Sunday.

It is expected to arrive in B.C. in early January, replacingthe 51-year-old Queen of Burnabyand providing service between Comox and Powell River.