Electric Tug HaiSea Wamis Arrives at Kitimat Home Base
The all-electric tugboat HaiSea Wamis is the first of HaiSea Marine’s five new eco-friendly tugs to travel from North Vancouver to the company's base of operations in Kitimat.
A team of eight Haisla members piloted the HaiSea Wamis home, marking a milestone for HaiSea Marine, a partnership primarily owned by the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC.
This occasion was a family affair for the Ross family, spanning three generations: Ed Ross, a deckhand for HaiSea Marine, his stepson Craig Windsor, and his grandsons Bradley Windsor and Christian Cross, who are all deckhands with HaiSea.
HaiSea will be fully operational in Kitimat by mid-August, providing escort towing services to liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers arriving at LNG Canada’s new export facility within the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.
“The dream of HaiSea and all that comes with it: generational employment for our members, one of the greenest tugboat fleets in the world, a culture that is diverse and inclusive—all became a reality as I stood with my community to welcome the HaiSea Wamis home. This marks a new chapter with HaiSea and one that will bring many opportunities to get our people back on the water, navigating the Douglas Channel as we have done for generations,” said Chief Crystal Smith, Elected Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation.
“When we were building HaiSea with the Haisla Nation, we had a major milestone for the project in mind: when the HaiSea Wamis set sail for Kitimat, crewed by Haisla members, coming back to work on their home waters just as their ancestors did for thousands of years. It was an honor to bring that milestone to life and celebrate with the community, and our partners. Together, we celebrated the homecoming and reaffirmed our commitment to HaiSea’s goals of Indigenous partnership, environmental stewardship, and fostering employment and training opportunities for Haisla members,” saidJordan Pechie, Senior Vice President, Seaspan Marine Transportation.
“LNG Canada is thrilled to welcome the HaiSea Wamis home, and to celebrate all that it represents. The unique partnership formed between the Haisla Nation and Seaspan is introducing a new generation of local mariners to B.C.’s northern coast, demonstrating innovative technologies, and inspiring young individuals across the region,” said Jason Klein, CEO, LNG Canada.
The HaiSea Marine fleet
HaiSea Marine's tug fleet consists of Canada’s first electric tugboats, three ElectRA 2800 electric harbor tugs, as well as two RAstar 4000-DF escort dual fuel (LNG and diesel) tugs. Designed by Vancouver, B.C.-based naval architect company Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL), the tugs were built by Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar.
The ElectRA 2800 harbor tugs that will operate in tandem at LNG Canada’s new export facility are the first-of-class battery electric tugs, designed to perform their regular ship-berthing and unberthing missions using battery electric power. HaiSea Wamis, Wee’git and Brave are 28 meters long, with approximately 70 tonnes bollard pull and approximately 5288 kWh of battery capacity.
The RAstar 4000-DF escort tugs measure 40 meters in length, and with 100 tonnes of bollard pull will be the west coast of Canada’s most powerful escort tugs – and among the world’s most high-performance escort tugs – with the ability to generate indirect forces in escort of approximately 200 tonnes. HaiSea Kermode and Warrior feature an exhaust after-treatment system in full compliance with IMO Tier III emissions standards, the most stringent emissions standards for the international marine industry.