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Seaspan Ferries Corporation (SFC) has announced the arrival of the Seaspan Reliant - the second of two new dual-fuel hybrid ferries to its fleet.

Like its sister ship the Seaspan Swift, North America's first hybrid LNG- and battery-powered cargo ferry, the Seaspan Reliant features two Wartsila LNG-diesel dual-fuel engines, LNG generators for its main propulsion and a Corvus lithium ion energy storage system (ESS) which operates as spinning reserve and provides propulsion power for low-speed manoeuvres.

Currently docked at the SFC Tilbury Terminal in Delta, British Columbia, the vessel arrived home after an eight-week journey that spanned a total of 10,661 nautical miles following its construction at Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey.

"The arrival of the Seaspan Reliant marks a proud milestone in the history of Seaspan Ferries Corporation," said Steve Roth, president of Seaspan Ferries. "With the introduction of a second new technologically advanced, LNG-fuelled vessel to our fleet, we are living out a clear commitment to our drop-trailer customers as well to the waterways in which we operate. As with the Seaspan Swift, the Seaspan Reliant will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions dramatically compared to other current alternatives while delivering the highest level of efficiency, performance and reliability."

The 148.9-metre ferry, which can accommodate up to 59 truck trailers, will now undergo a series of regulatory inspections and crew training programmes throughout March before entering operation in April.

The Vard Marine-designed Seaspan Reliant, along with the Seaspan Swift - which arrived in December 2016 and entered operation in January 2017, mark the first vessels added to Seaspan Ferries' fleet since 2002.

Seaspan currently operates a fleet of seven ferries out of five terminals in British Columbia, and supplies more than 50 percent of all cargo to Vancouver Island.

In December, Bunker Index reported 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 at the time as being "the first of its kind in North America".