Vigor gets go ahead for fourth 144-vehicle ferry

The agency last week signed a Notice to Proceed giving shipbuilder Vigor Industrial the go ahead to get started on work on the fourth vessel in the 144-vehicle capacity ferry series and work will begin in January.

The new ferry is funded through the Connecting Washington transportation package which is being paid for through a hike in state gasoline taxes.

WSF is building the Olympic Class ferries to replace some of the fleet’s oldest vessels. The Olympic Class design is based on the Issaquah class, the most versatile vessel in the WSF fleet.

Two of four are in service, the third will be complete in 2017 and the fourth is scheduled for completion in 2018.

The first vessel, Tokitae, joined the Mukilteo/Clinton route in June 2014. The second, Samish, was put into service on the Anacortes/San Juans Island route in June 2015. Chimacum, the third ferry, will replace one of the older vessels on the Seattle/Bremerton route in 2017.

“Our top priority is keeping the ferry system safe and reliable for the millions of commuters, freight haulers and travelers who depend on us every year,” said WSF Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa. “Thanks to state lawmakers and critical funds from Connecting Washington, we are able to meet some of the ferry system’s most urgent needs, including building this new ferry.”

Like the other vessels in the class, the fourth ferry will be built at Vigor Industrial, supporting about 500 jobs at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard and contractors around the region.

The budget to build the vessel is $122 million, and delivery is scheduled for mid-2018.

The Washington State Transportation Commission is leading a public process to determine the fourth ferry’s name.

Olympic Class ferries are equipped with the latest emergency-evacuation and fire-suppression systems, two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevators, and wider car-deck lanes that provide more room for passengers to access their vehicles.

The vessels’ hull design reduces wake and provides better fuel efficiency, while cleaner burning engines reduce emissions.

The first two Olympic Class ferries were delivered on time and under budget. The third vessel, under construction at Vigor, is on schedule and under budget and will be assigned to the Seattle/Bremerton route in early 2017.

Coast Guard to review WSF LNG terminal proposal

The U.S. Coast Guard recently issued a notice in the Federal Register that it would review a proposal by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to modify its marine terminal operations to handle Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The LNG would be used to fuel its six Issaquah Class ferries. Last year on June 27, the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound had received a Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) from Washington State Ferries to modify their marine terminals to handle LNG.

In accordance with regulation and policy guidance, the Captain of the Port (COTP), Coast Guard Puget Sound Sector, in cooperation with key stakeholders, will review and validate the information in the WSA. Once the COTP reviews the WSA, he will issue a Letter of Recommendation to the Washington Department of Transportation recommending the suitability of the Puget Sound waterways that will be used for LNG marine traffic as it relates to safety and security. Public comments received last November regarding WSF’s proposal will be considered in the development of the COTP’s Letter of Recommendation. Some of the comments received expressed concern about the exposed location of the LNG tanks on the top deck of the converted ferries and how they could potentially pose a security threat. Other comments thought that LNG poses a pollution threat to the environment. The Coast Guard will examine WSF’s Emergency and Operations Manuals covering the LNG transfer system and transfer procedures.

Proposed conversion
Once WSF receives the Letter of Recommendation from the Coast Guard, it will be able to move forward with the retrofit of the first Issaquah Class ferry, which will serve as a proof of concept for the remaining vessels in the class. The diesel-powered ferries carry about 1,200 passengers and 124 vehicles.The state’s ferries, says WSF, are the largest single source of marine carbon emissions in the state. It expects to cut CO2, particulate matter, SOx, and NOx emissions significantly with the use of LNG s a marine fuel. The WSDOT also expects to reap some cost savings, although the picture is not as compelling as it was last year when oil was at $100 per barrel.

During testimony this past January before a State Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunication Subcommittee, Lynne Griffith, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Ferries Division, said there would be a $1 per gallon savings when burning LNG as compared with burning Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. WSF burns about 18 million gallons of fuel annually. The cost of fuel now represents about 23 percent of the Fiscal Year 2013-2015 operating budget as compared with 11 percent in Fiscal Year 2000-2001. Any ferries that would burn LNG would have to be refueled by tanker truck every seven to 10 days.

USCG to review WSF plan to handle LNG at terminals

Last year on June 27, the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound had received a Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) from Washington State Ferries to modify their marine terminals to handle LNG. In accordance with regulation and policy guidance, the Captain of the Port (COTP), Coast Guard Puget Sound Sector, in cooperation with key stakeholders, will review and validate the information in the WSA. Once the COTP reviews the WSA, he will issue a Letter of Recommendation to the Washington Department of Transportation recommending the suitability of the Puget Sound waterways the will be used for LNG marine traffic as it relates to safety and security.

Public comments received last November regarding WSF’s proposal will be considered in the development of the COTP’s Letter of Recommendation. Some of the comments received expressed concern about the exposed location of the LNG tanks on the top deck of the converted ferries posed a security threat. Other comments thought that LNG poses a pollution threat to the environment. The Coast Guard will examine WSF’s Emergency and Operations Manuals covering the LNG transfer system and transfer procedures.

Proposed conversion

Once WSF receives the Letter of Recommendation from the Coast Guard, it will be able to move forward with the retrofit of the first Issaquah Class ferry, which will serve as a proof of concept for the remaining vessels in the class. The diesel-powered ferries carry about 1,200 passengers and 124 vehicles.

The state’s ferries, says WSF, are the largest single source of marine carbon emissions in the state. It expects to cut CO2, particulate matter, SOx, and NOx emissions significantly with the use of LNG s a marine fuel.

The WSDOT also expects to reap some cost savings, although the picture is not as compelling as it was last year when oil was at $100 per barrel. During testimony this past January before a State Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunication Subcommittee, Lynne Griffith, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Ferries Division, said there would be a $1 per gallon savings when burning LNG as compared with burning Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. WSF burns about 18 million gallons of fuel annually. The cost of fuel now represents about 23 percent of the Fiscal Year 2013-2015 operting budget as compared with 11 percent in Fiscal Year 2000-2001. Any ferries that would burn LNG would have to be refueled by tanker truck every seven to 10 days.

 

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