• 15 Mar 2018

Victoria Shipyards (VSL) was selected by TOTE Maritime Alaska to carry out the yard production work and docking necessary for the conversion of  two TOTE Orca class vessels to dual-fuel systems  a process which is being carried out in four phases and will enable the two ships to use both LNG and Diesel as fuel.

The North Star - the first of the two 839-foot-long roll-on, roll-off cargo ships which carry cargo between Anchorage (Alaska) and Tacoma (Washington) - arrived at VSL in December, 2017 starting the process of conversion.

The first of the two vessels slated for conversion, the North Star, has completed a 60-day visit to the shipyard, which along with the other Midnight Sun vessel, will provide employment for 300 – 400 people working six days a week. Following her recent stay, she returned to Alaska, marking the first voyage outfitted with two new LNG tanks.

Each of these conversion periods will take place in the winter, to minimise the impact to customers and consumers alike. The conversion of both ships is scheduled to be completed by Q1 of 2021.

TOTE Maritime was the first maritime shipping company in the world to announce its intention to convert their fleet, enabling the engines to use both LNG and diesel.