Wartsila announced it has been awarded the contract to supply the gas powered propulsion machinery and corresponding gas storage and handling systems for a new passenger ferry. The vessel has been ordered by Canadian operator Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ), and will be the first North American ferry to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship is being built by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Italy and will be used on routes crossing the St. Lawrence River. The Wartsila equipment is due to be delivered in the autumn 2013, and the vessel is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2014.

The ferry is being built to comply with the upcoming ECA regulations applicable to its area of operation. With the Wartsila 34 dual-fuel generating sets, which will provide the main power generation, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will be at least 85% below those specified in the current IMO regulations, according to the engine builder, and the CO2 emissions will be some 25% less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel. The sulfur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions are negligible at almost zero percent.