China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering launched the first 7,600-cbm LNG bunkering vessel it is building for Canada’s Seaspan ULC.
CIMC SOE held the launching ceremony for the LNG bunkering vessel, Seaspan Garibaldi (S1062) on December 27, it said in a statement.
The shipbuilder said it expects to deliver this bunkering vessel and the second sister vessel in 2024 while the third ship will join the fleet in 2025.
The vessel has 112.8 meters in length, 18.6 meters in width, 5 meters in draft, and a design speed of 13 knots.
Also, the Canadian-flagged and BV-classed ship will feature the latest ship technology to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CIMC COE said.
Last year, CIMC SOE won a contract to build two 7,600-cbm LNG bunkering vessels for Seaspan Marine Transportation.
Besides two firm LNG bunkering ships, the deal also included an option for a third vessel and Seaspan exercised its option for that vessel as well.
Bonn-based TGE Marine Gas Engineering will supply the cargo handling and fuel gas system for the three vessels.
The vessels will each feature two IMO type C cylindrical tanks and an LNG sub-cooling system to facilitate cargo conditioning during transit and anchorage.
Seaspan Garibaldi to work in Panama
Seaspan ULC is a group of Canadian companies that are primarily involved in coastal marine, transportation, bunker fueling, ship repair, and shipbuilding services on the West Coast of North America.
Designed by Vard Marine, the bunkering vessels will provide ship-to-ship LNG transfer as well as coastal/short sea shipping operations, Seaspan previously said.
Besides Vard, Seaspan partnered with the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, and FortisBC, the owner of the Tilbury LNG facility in British Columbia.
In addition to supplying LNG fuel for the group’s ferries, the vessels will supply LNG fuel for cruise ships, tankers, and containerships visiting the West Coast of North America.
Seaspan also signed in October a memorandum of understanding with US energy firm AES to provide LNG as fuel for vessels from the Costa Norte LNG terminal in Panama.
The group said in a statement issued on January 5 that Seaspan Garibaldi would be based in the Panama region as part of the deal with AES, while the second vessel is targeted to support the West Coast market as it develops.
(Updated on January 5, 2024 to say that Seaspan Garibaldi would be based in Panama.)