The Canadian Coast Guard will receive new polar icebreakers in the early 2030s.
The Canadian government issued a contract to Seaspan on 7 March 2025, and on 8 March, another contract for two icebreakers construction was awarded to the shipbuilding company Chantier Davie.
The work on the vessels is being carried out as part of the long-term National Shipbuilding Strategy, intended to renew the Canadian fleet, and will align with the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) with the United States and Finland. As of now, officials have only mentioned the participation of Finnish counterparts.
The construction of the icebreaker is estimated at $3.25 billion, and the ship is expected to be delivered by 2030.
The concept measures 139 metres in length, with a Polar Class 2 rating. According to expectations, the vessel will be able to conduct research year-round.
Chantier Davie will construct the ship at its facility in Lévis, Quebec. To expedite production, the company will also utilise its Canadian-owned shipyard in Finland, Helsinki Shipyard. Under a work-sharing initiative, Canadian workers will collaborate with their Finnish counterparts to assemble a portion of the vessel in Finland.
This arrangement will allow Chantier Davie to proceed with infrastructure upgrades at its Lévis shipyard in Quebec while simultaneously building components of the polar icebreaker in Finland.
Seaspan has carried out tests on a prototype block to analyse the processes and work tools needed to build the ship.
The contract is estimated at $3.15 billion, with the delivery date set for 2032. The vessel will measure 158 metres in length and will be designed for optimal performance in heavy ice.
The Seaspan polar icebreaker will have the ability to operate for several months at sea without needing to come to port and will be equipped with a flight deck to land Arctic-capable helicopters.
—Press Release of the Canadian Government
Seaspan emphasises that this project will be the first instance in over six decades that a polar icebreaker has been constructed in Canada. The company notes that building such a complex and heavily outfitted multi-mission vessel poses a substantial challenge for shipbuilders. Once completed, the new icebreakers are expected to feature significantly more advanced capabilities compared to the Canadian Coast Guard’s existing heavy icebreakers.
Source: Canada.ca
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