World's First Natural Gas-Powered Passenger Ferry Scheduled For Spring 1993 Delivery
The world's first passenger ferry gas is scheduled to cruise in the boat to run completely on natural spring of 1993. Tidewater RegionalTransit (TRT) of Norfolk, Va., is converting the ferry boat from diesel to natural gas in an attempt to reduce air and water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
"We believe the natural gas ferry will play an important role in assisting regional efforts to improve both the air and water quality," said Jayne Whitney, director of program management, TRT.
The program gained full steam when the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded an Alternative Fuels Initiative Program grant of more than $600,000 to TRT, to convert the ferry to natural gas. The U.S. Coast Guard has approved the preliminary plans for the natural gas ferry boat, which will transport approximately 2,700 passengers per day on the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va.
Engineers from Virginia Natural Gas Co. (VNG), a subsidiary of Pittsburgh- based Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG), worked closely with TRT and Portsmouth-based JJH, Inc., a marine engineering consulting firm, to complete plans and specifications for the ferry boat to meet the Coast Guard's approval.
VNG will provide, install and maintain a natural gas compressor on the Elizabeth River so the boat can re-fuel.
Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation (Norshipco), one of the largest privately-owned shipyards on the East Coast, has agreed to let VNG locate the refueling site in one of its shipyards. The cost to run the ferryboat on natural gas will be relatively the same as it is to power it on diesel.Saab Marine Receives ISO 9001 Certificate For Quality Assurance Saab Marine Electronics, c Gothenburg, Sweden,became oneofth first company's in the world to b awarded an International Standardiza tion Organization (ISO) 9001 interna tional quality assurance certificate fo radar-basedlevelgaugingandelectrom cargo handling systems.
The certificate was ceremoniall; handed over on Saab Marine Qual ity Day by Ulf Thorsell, thi Gothenburg represenateive of certi fication society Det norske Veritai (DNV).
The ISO 9001 approval is the rec ognized European standard ant officially assures the high quality o Saab Marine Electronics' products and services.
Kurt Isaksson, managing direc tor of Saab Marine Electronics, ex plained the necessity of an export oriented company working in accordance with an international quality assurance standard.
Saab Marine Electronics is one o; the world's leading manufacturers ol radar-based level gauging onboarc tankers, with a 1991 turnover of 20C million Swedish Kroner ($34.5 million). Its' non-contact level gauging technology is also widely used in oil terminals, refineries, tank farms and other industrial applications. The company also manufactures cargo and monitoring systems for tankers.
For more information about Saab Marine Electronics,
