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British Columbian energy storage system specialist Corvus Energy has congratulated Vancouver-based ferry operator Seaspan Ferries, which in December took delivery of the first of two LNG-battery hybrid cargo ferries to be delivered over the next 12 months.

The Seaspan Swift is the first LNG-battery hybrid cargo ferry in North America. The vessel features two dual-fuel engines and a Corvus lithium ion energy storage system (ESS) which operates as spinning reserve and provides propulsion power for low-speed maneuvers.

The cargo ferry will be joined by a sister ship, Seaspan Reliant, in early 2017, after which the operator is set to order a further three ferries, according to Seaspan's CEO Jonathan Whitworth. The 148-metre vessels, designed by Vard Marine, will have capacity for 59 truck trailers compared to the 30-40 trailer capacity of its existing seven vessels that have been in service for an average of 36 years.

Seaspan Ferries operates cargo-only services between Vancouver Island and the British Columbian mainland, carrying up to 800 trailers a day. The company currently operates a fleet of seven ferries out of five terminals in British Columbia and is said to supply more than 50 percent of all cargo to Vancouver Island.

"We are proud to be working with Seaspan, a fellow Canadian company and an innovator in its business operations" said Andrew Morden, President and CEO of Corvus Energy. "Seaspan's commitment to environmental sustainability is industry-leading and Corvus looks forward to working with them to integrate Corvus Energy ESS solutions into their future vessels."

"Integrating the proven Corvus ESS technology into our new LNG-battery vessels will help us achieve our goal of minimizing the environmental impact of our operations, while reducing fuel consumption and operating costs," said Seaspan CEO Jonathan Witworth. "Corvus's experience, industry leadership and safety record made it an easy decision to utilize their battery systems."

Last week, Seaspan confirmed that the Seaspan Swift had been bunkered with LNG in a truck-to-ship refuelling operation that involved FortisBC and Redwise. The supply was described by Seaspan as being "the first of its kind in North America".