BC Ferries has awarded the contract to build three new vessels powered by LNG to a Polish company.
The ferry corporation announced Thursday that the contract for three new intermediate vessels has been awarded to Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. of Gdansk, Poland, for $165 million.
Ferries says the new vessels will be the first in the fleet to be capable of operating on either LNG or diesel. The corporation hopes the relatively lower price for LNG will help keep fuel costs down.
Two of the vessels will replace the Queen of Burnaby which currently sails between Comox and Powell River; and the Queen of Nanaimo, between Tsawwassen and the southern Gulf Islands.
The third boat will be used for relief purposes.
Ferries says Vancouver’s Seaspan shipyard was shortlisted in the bidding process but withdrew their application due to commitments to the federal government.
The first vessel will be ready in August 2016.
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