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Earlier this week, BC Ferries held the official naming ceremony for the first dual-fuel 'Salish-class' vessel at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland.

The new ship, Salish Orca, was christened according to maritime tradition by vessel sponsor Margaret McDonagh, BC Ferries' Senior Chief Steward on the Queen of Burnaby. The vessel's name was chosen to honour the Coast Salish people and the Salish Sea where the ship is due to operate.

The new vessel is scheduled to join the BC Ferries fleet in late 2016, replacing the 50-year-old Queen of Burnaby on the Comox - Powell River route.

Three vessels are currently under construction, with two other ships - Salish Eagle and Salish Raven - set to enter operations in the Southern Gulf Islands in 2017. They are to replace ferries that are at the end of their life cycle.

The ships are being built as dual-fuel, capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD).

According to BC Ferries, the use of LNG will result in the reduction of an estimated 9,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year - the same as taking 1,900 passenger vehicles off the road annually. Using primarily LNG to fuel the new ships will also result in reduced costs, BC Ferries says.

"This marks a major milestone in building our new ships, as we honour maritime tradition with the official naming ceremony for the Salish Orca," said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries' President and CEO. "As we progress with our vessel replacement program, we will continue to look for opportunities to build LNG-powered ferries, while maintaining our high standard of safety and reliability as well as reducing our environmental footprint."

Under contract to the Province of British Columbia, BC Ferries is the service provider responsible for the delivery of the ferry service along coastal British Columbia.