A cruise ship has refuelled in Vancouver using liquefied natural gas for the first time.Seaspan Energy called it an "important milestone" in the "transition away from traditional marine fuels" such as diesel and "meeting decarbonization targets at the Port of Vancouver and worldwide."According to Seaspan Energy, the Alaska-bound ship received LNG from the Seaspan Garibaldi bunker vessel on Friday."LNG is one of the most widely adopted alternative marine fuels and the first approved for bunkering at the Port of Vancouver," Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain Captain Shri Madiwal said."Its introduction is a vital step forward as early planning gets underway to safely introduce other alternative fuels like ammonia and methanol.".Seaspan Energy President Harly Penner shared Madiwal's enthusiasm, adding that the provider is "proud to play a key role in advancing the shift to alternative marine fuels in North America's fourth largest port and look to become a major centre for LNG bunkering.""Providing dependable LNG bunkering services from Vancouver represents a major step forward," he added. "This first LNG bunkering of a cruise ship at the port is a milestone we are excited to share with the Port of Vancouver, as it signals meaningful progress in the industry's decarbonization efforts.".Seaspan became the first accredited supplier of LNG to ships calling at the Port of Vancouver in Fall 2024 following what it called "a rigorous assessment by the port authority that considered international best practices around safety."The energy is set to be provided by FortisBC. Vice President of Major Projects and LNG Mike Leclair said the company is "proud to be a part" of the project.Vancouver is the busiest cruise port in Canada, with over 300 ships set to sail into Burrard Inlet in 2025 alone.
