Therefore, the Lake Michigan Carferry Service (LMC) is considering natural gas as new fuel source for the company’s future. LMC authorities were already contacted by DTE Energy suggesting the possibility of converting the coal-fired steam engines, which would make the ferry the greenest commercial vessel operating on the Great Lakes.
In turn, the vice president of Customer Service and Marketing at LMC, Lynda Matson, said she could not provide a specific timeline on the conversion but that the historic S.S. Badger may soon become the first coal-fired steamer ever to be retrofitted to CNG, as it is “a good and affordable solution.”
“Finding a safe, feasible and environmentally-friendly option with natural gas is important to our company. We employ nearly 250 people and affect an additional 450 jobs,” she added. “We also have an economic impact of nearly USD 35 million annually on our port cities, Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.”
Source: Lake Michigan Carferry Service