S.S. Badger gets grant for natural gas conversion

LUDINGTON, Mich. - The operator of the S.S. Badger ferry has received a grant to begin designing the ship’s conversion to using natural gas for fuel.

Lake Michigan Carferry says it has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Wisconsin State Energy Office to begin engineering work.

The ferry, which runs between Manitowoc and Ludington, Mich., currently runs on coal and dumps more than 500 tons of coal ash into Lake Michigan each year. The ferry’s permit to do that expires in December. In February, federal regulators announced they would allow the Badger to apply for an individual permit. If approved, it would allow the dumping for five more years.

The Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute has also received an $800,000 federal grant to study the use of liquefied natural gas on Great Lakes vessels. The S.S. Badger will serve as the model vessel in the study, operators say.