Authorities at Vancouver Fraser Port in Canada have overseen the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering procedure at the site, with plans to expand operations this year.
The refuelling process was completed by the LNG bunkering vessel Seaspan Lions in late January and involved transfer of fuel to the chemical/oil products tanker Pacific Jade.
“Completing our first successful bunkering in local waters is a major milestone for Seaspan Energy and marks the introduction of a low-carbon fuel alternative from the Port of Vancouver and beyond,” Harly Penner, President of Seaspan Energy, commented.
Significant stride
The port authority recently made a significant stride in facilitating the use of LNG — one of the most widely adopted alternative marine fuels — for cargo ships calling Vancouver by authorizing LNG bunkering operations to take place within the limits of the port.
“In November 2024, North Vancouver’s Seaspan Energy received the first-to-be-issued LNG bunkering accreditation from the port authority,” a spokesperson for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said, calling the accreditation “a significant stride in facilitating the use of LNG — one of the most widely adopted alternative marine fuels”.
Seaspan Energy’s accreditation was issued following rigorous risk assessments and mitigation processes that considered international best practices around safety.
Low-carbon fuel
The Seaspan Lions is one of three sister vessels that Seaspan has deployed for LNG bunkering vessels, primarily on the West Coast of North America. All three vessels have LNG capacity of 7,600 cubic metres and were built by CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering in China.
“With two of our LNG bunkering vessels now operational and our first bunkering in the books, our message to ship owners globally is that we now offer an accredited LNG bunkering option here in Vancouver,” Penner added.
The ships are powered by three dual-fuel generators and fitted with direct current power distribution systems. Propulsion is delivered by two 1,600 KW azimuth thrusters.
