July 23, 2025
Seaspan Marine plays a vital role in supporting many of British Columbia’s largest industries, which now includes the growing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector. As a lower-emission transitional fuel, LNG is key to helping global ports, including the Port of Vancouver, meet their decarbonization targets. Seaspan is proud to now play a key role in its export from Canada, and in bunkering LNG vessels calling at the Port of Vancouver and Port of Long Beach, both places where Seaspan celebrated milestones last quarter.
Photo credit: LNG Canada
HaiSea Marine’s tugboat fleet in Kitimat celebrated important LNG-related milestones last quarter, events that have been a decade in the making. In April, the entire HaiSea Marine fleet worked together for the first time in what was their most anticipated operation to date, escorting the first LNG carrier up the Douglas Channel, safely assisting it into its berth at LNG Canada’s marine terminal jetty. The operation went smoothly, setting the stage for the very first export cargo from LNG Canada, which then took place a few months later. In late June, HaiSea tugboats escorted and assisted with the docking and undocking of the GasLog Gaslow, the very first carrier to call at LNG Canada’s new export facility for loading. The was a historic moment for Canada and a pivotal event for the Canadian energy sector, which HaiSea Marine was honoured to be a part of.
In other LNG-related milestones, the Seaspan Garibaldi provided LNG bunkering services to Silversea’s Silver Nova, the first-ever cruise ship to fill up with an alternative fuel at the Port of Vancouver. The Seaspan Baker also celebrated a pair of its own milestones in California. The vessel completed the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering of a tanker at anchorage in Long Beach on May 17. The crew also celebrated another first shortly afterwards, carrying out a successful LNG bunkering operation for a pure car and truck carrier, NYK Line’s Plumeria Leader, also at Long Beach.
But, we don’t just transport fuel and tankers. Our tugboats in the Port of Vancouver and elsewhere up the coast also assist with ship docking and escort. One job in June was particularly unique, escorting the Canadian Coast Guard’s new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, as it departed Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for the first day of its sea trials. It undocked with the help of the Seaspan Hawk and Seaspan Venture, before being escorted by the Hawk and its crew through the harbour, underneath Lions Gate bridge and out into Burrard Inlet.
The news from our team last quarter didn’t stop at the shoreline though. We were pleased to share that Lorri Stewart, Senior Manager, Ship Assist & Business Development at Seaspan Marine was named the first chairwoman of the board at BC Chamber of Shipping. This nomination is a testament to Lorri’s dedication to the marine community and reflects her efforts to make the shipping industry safer and more inclusive for everyone.