Icebreaker

Today at CANSEC, Canada’s leading defence & security tradeshow, Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards presented its progress towards completing the functional design on the first heavy Polar Icebreaker in Canada in over 60 years. Functional Design of the vessel is now more than 70 per cent complete and 3D modelling of the vessel is well advanced, setting the stage for Seaspan to cut steel on the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet before the end of the year.

 With Canada’s current largest Icebreaker, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, expected to retire at the end of the decade, the new Polar Icebreaker will be one of the world’s largest, most capable and powerful icebreakers. While designed and built before the implementation of the Polar Code, the Louis’ capability is akin to a Polar Class 4. Canada’s operational requirements drive to building a new Polar Class 2 icebreaker that can independently operate anywhere in the Arctic year round – this capability includes the ability to operate at -50 degrees Celsius which introduces considerable complexity to the design and build of the vessel.

Most icebreakers primarily break ice.  The new Polar Icebreaker will also be capable of fulfilling many different demanding missions necessary for Canada including a wide array of Arctic science missions, search and rescue, security, navigation, transportation and emergency response.   This impressive range of capabilities also adds to the design and engineering challenges that are being addressed by the Canadian Coast Guard and the Seaspan team.

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Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engines for a new Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker. The ship is being designed and built at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards and will be the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet. Because of the long operational range required for the vessel’s employment in arctic waters, fuel efficiency was a prime design consideration in the selection of the Wärtsilä 31 engine. The Wärtsilä 31 engine has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine and was therefore considered an obvious choice. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2023.

The 158 metre-long multi-mission Polar Icebreaker will operate under PC2 conditions with four 16-cylinder and two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines, delivering 47 MW of power. The engines will be fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems for IMO Tier III environmental compliance. Wärtsilä will also supply the centre shaft line with a stainless-steel ice-class propeller, as well as Wärtsilä’s NACOS Platinum navigation system.

“Wärtsilä has a fine track record and years of experience in delivering high-class marine technologies including recently delivering the propulsion equipment for the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV), plus the diesel generator sets for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) built at Seaspan for the Canadian Coast Guard,” commented Leo Martin, Senior Vice President – Programs, Seaspan Shipyards.

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Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (Davie) today announced it has been awarded its first National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) contract by the Government of Canada for the design of the six-ship fleet of Canada’s future Program Icebreakers. This major milestone marks the beginning of Davie’s NSS work package to replenish Canada’s Arctic fleet and each initiative under the contract will help advance upcoming design, construction, delivery and support phases for these strategic ships.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement (PSPC) said: “This first contract awarded to Chantier Davie under the National Shipbuilding Strategy brings us a step closer to providing the Canadian Coast Guard with the next generation Arctic ships. They will be among the most advanced, sustainable and durable vessels tailored to the world’s harshest environments. The new fleet will be symbolic of Canada’s Arctic presence and crucial to keeping our country open for business year-round.”

Davie President and CEO, James Davies, said: “This is a momentous first step in our journey to deliver a fleet of the largest and most advanced icebreakers ever built in and for Canada. My heartfelt thanks go to the dedicated teams at Davie, the Canadian Coast Guard and PSPC. They have spent countless hours preparing for this historic milestone. Now, we can’t wait to get working on renewing Canada’s Arctic fleet.”

Davie will establish a Program Icebreaker project management and design office, providing compelling opportunities for current and future generations of Canadian shipbuilders. Davie is committed to recruiting teams of highly skilled shipbuilding professionals, who will drive all aspects of constructing the world’s largest order book of heavy icebreakers.

Moreover, Davie will engage critical subcontractors to design and certify the vessel to established safety, environmental, and performance standards. Building on Davie’s proven track record of delivering vessels of exceptional quality and performance, this early phase is fundamental in guaranteeing sustained operational readiness and capability to best serve the CCG’s missions.

Julian Kenney, Program Director for the Program Icebreakers at Davie, said: “Embarking on the design and construction of Canada’s new icebreaker fleet is a great source of pride for everyone at Davie. We have a strong partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard and our top priority is to design and build the icebreakers Canada needs to keep our waterways open, protect our environment, and secure the Arctic.”

About Davie Based in Québec, Canada since 1825, Davie is a world-class designer and builder of specialist, mission-critical ships such as icebreakers, ferries and warships for government and commercial customers. Davie became a partner in the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy on April 4, 2023. This historic agreement is for the design and construction of the largest and most technologically advanced ships ever constructed in and for Canada. The initial $8.5 billion package of work includes seven heavy icebreakers and two large hybrid-powered ferries. Davie is a part of Group Davie, which in November 2023 acquired Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard, the world leader in icebreaker design and construction. Find out more at davie.ca and helsinkishipyard.fi.

For further information, please contact: Marcel Poulin Director, External Affairs and Industrial Participation, Davie marcel.poulin@davie.ca +1 581 992-8564

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• ABB has secured a comprehensive propulsion system contract with Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyard for the first of the Canadian Coast Guard’s new-generation polar icebreakers
   
• The icebreaker is expected to be the world’s largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker when it enters service in 2030
   
• Azipod® propulsion has been selected to support the vessel’s operational efficiency, reliability and icebreaking capability, meeting tightest emissions regulations

Seaspan Shipyards, Canada’s long-term shipbuilding partner for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Royal Canadian Navy, has awarded ABB a contract to deliver an integrated propulsion system for the first of the CCG’s new-generation polar class icebreakers.

The vessel is expected to be one of the world’s largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker when it enters service in 2030, with ABB supplying vessel systems complying with IACS Polar Class 2 requirements for year-round operations in moderate multi-year ice conditions. The vessel will have 34MW of propulsive power provided by a single shaftline and twin Azipod® units. In addition to increasing efficiency and reliability, Azipod® propulsors offer improved maneuverability in icy waters.

This major marine systems order marks a significant milestone for ABB in Canada, with ABB assuming the role of single system integrator responsible for the engineering, delivery and commissioning of the comprehensive propulsion package.

Upon delivery, the vessel will join a reference list of 150 other icebreaking or icegoing vessels outfitted with ABB’s propulsion technology. As the first vessel of its kind to be built in Canada in over 60 years, it will set a performance benchmark for the new generation of domestically built coast guard icebreakers.

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If shipping boss Niels Clemensen were to offer any advice to Donald Trump or anyone else trying to get a foothold in Greenland, it would be this: “Come up here and see what you are actually dealing with.”

Sitting on the top floor of his beamed office in Nuuk harbour, where snow is being flung around by strong winds in the mid-morning darkness outside and shards of ice pass by in the fast-flowing water, the chief executive of Greenland’s only shipping company, Royal Arctic Line, says: “What you normally see as easy [setting up operations] in the US or Europe is not the same up here.” As well as the cold, ice and extremely rough seas, the world’s biggest island does not have a big road network or trains, meaning everything has to be transported either by sea or air. “I’m not saying that it’s not possible. But it’s going to cost a lot of money.”

With the potential to slash shipping times between Europe and Asia by thousands of miles – or as much as two weeks – the opening up of the Northwest Passage as the Arctic ice melts is viewed by some as an upside of the climate crisis and one of the main reasons Trump has taken such an interest in Greenland...

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The United States plans to order 40 icebreakers, according to US President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has announced plans to order 40 icebreakers to supplement the country’s current fleet, with the news reported by US outlet Forbes, among others.

The country’s current fleet is aging and ready for replacement, according to the financial magazine.

Trump’s announcement came during a visit he made to North Carolina on Tuesday. During his first term, Trump had already proposed commissioning the construction of new icebreakers for the United States.

Finland naturally perked up at the ice-crushing news since Finnish companies have designed and built the majority of the world’s icebreakers.

Posting on messaging platform X, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) said she had spoken with Marco Rubio, America’s new Secretary of State. The two discussed possible cooperation between Finland and the US regarding icebreakers, according to Valtonen.

Forbes meanwhile reports two American icebreakers recently struggled to free a Canadian transport ship stuck outside of Buffalo, New York. The Canadian Coast Guard eventually managed to free the vessel.

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In a speech last week in North Carolina, President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. would soon be ordering 40 big icebreakers for the Coast Guard, and that Canada wants in on the deal. 

Asked about U.S. trade relations with Britain, Trump gave his thoughts on why Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. The U.S. is losing too much money to Canada on trade deficits, he said, and joining the U.S. would mean lower taxes (and no U.S. tariffs) for Canadians.

"Why are we paying all of that money to Canada when, you know, we — we could use it ourselves, right? You know, we ordered — we’re going to order about 40 Coast Guard big icebreakers. Big ones. And all of a sudden, Canada wants a piece of the deal. I say, 'Why are we doing that?'" Trump said. "I mean, I like doing that if they’re a state, but I don’t like doing that if they’re a nation. . . . I would love to see Canada be the 51st state."

The U.S. Coast Guard currently has funds from Congress for a planned three-vessel order for the Polar Security Cutter program, built by Bollinger. The first was approved in late December after years of delay, and the program faces cost overruns. The service's last icebreaker study suggested a need for at least three more medium icebreakers in addition to the current program of record, and its regional icebreaker fleet for the Great Lakes is also advancing in age. 

At present, the service's seagoing fleet has one heavy icebreaker and one medium icebreaker - both aging - and one "bridging strategy" icebreaker, a commercial conversion that will fill gaps until delivery of the first Polar Security Cutter. 

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MILAN — An agreement between Finland, Canada, and the United States to jointly build icebreaker ships may hold the key to deeper cooperation between the Arctic nations, as Washington has set out to boost its fleet against Russian and Chinese efforts to ramp up their own.

The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, was signed in July 2024 on the occasion of NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington. It aims to combine the three nations’ knowledge, resources, and expertise about the Arctic region in general and polar icebreaker construction in particular.

The core ambition of the agreement is to collectively build best-in-class ice boats capable of year-round operations in Arctic waters, plowing pathways for maritime traffic in a region being transformed by climate change. Teaming up in a cluster of countries, the idea goes, will lead to better prices and speedier deliveries for the governments involved.

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Tech stocks are selling off sharply on Monday, triggered by concerns that China’s just-released DeepSeek AI assistant may steal the thunder from U.S.-based platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Before this week, however, markets have been responding with gusto since November’s presidential election, especially in a few key — and perhaps expected — industries.

The biggest winner so far was the automobile industry, led by Tesla, up an impressive 70% since Election Day as of Friday. General Motors, while not quite as flashy, was up about 5%. Despite President Donald Trump’s rollback of Joe Biden-era electric vehicle mandates, Tesla has continued to command investor confidence, possibly due to Elon Musk’s close ties to the president.

Electricity producers also saw a boost, driven by the AI boom. Data centers, which currently consume 1% to 2% of global power, could grow to 3% to 4% by the end of the decade, according to Goldman Sachs...

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Government and port leaders saluted Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot at the Port of Québec as the ship completed Canada's first international winter cruise.

'Hats off to Capt. Patrick Marchesseau for sailing the icy waters of the St. Lawrence, a world first that will go down in history,' Québec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx said.

Blizzards and pack ice

Under Marchesseau's command, Le Commandant Charcot traveled 1,131 nautical miles through blizzards, icy waters and pack ice from the French outpost of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon near Newfoundland to Québec's Magdalen Islands, Gaspé, Sept-Îles and La Baie (in Saguenay Fjord) before arriving to a hero's welcome in Québec City.

The voyage showcased the Polar Class 2 ship's advanced icebreaking capabilities and pioneering spirit while treating 157 intrepid travelers to extraordinary winter adventures. They took part in snowshoeing, hiking, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skating, gastronomy and experiencing aboriginal traditions in close encounters with Mi'kmaq and Innu communities.

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Here is the intro to the article:  Members, here is an excellent report on the Ice Pact compliments of The North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN) .  Entitled “Ice Pact – Unpacked”, the report summarizes the Ice Pact meeting held in Ottawa on December 9, 2024.  Organized by the Canadian Maritime Security Network (CMSN) and the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN), the one-day event sought to facilitate an exchange of expertise to inform the process by which the governments will build upon the current statement of intent and flesh out what the ICE Pact can and should look like as it is translated into practice. The resulting discussion offered a range of insights, touching on how to build the requisite economies of scale, as well as the specific kinds and elements of cooperation needed to visualize the end state of this cooperation including future opportunities and potential hurdles that could hinder the ICEPact’s operationalization.

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This season, seven icebreakers were deployed to support community resupply and deliver key services such as icebreaking, search and rescue, maintaining aids to navigation, responding to marine pollution incidents and hazards, and supporting scientific research. The CCGS Amundsen was the first vessel deployed for the season on June 14, 2024, from Quebec City, QC, and the CCGS Des Groseilliers was the last vessel to return from the Arctic on December 8, 2024.

In Rankin Inlet, NU, the Arctic Marine Response Station was open from June 21 to October 22, 2024, and responded to eight search and rescue incidents. Aside from this essential service, the all-Indigenous team also performed four training exercises and patrolled over 737 nautical miles around the areas of Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove, NU.

In August, the Canadian Coast Guard welcomed the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) District 17 Rear Admiral Megan Dean aboard the CCGS Pierre Radisson in Resolute Bay, NU, and the CCGS Amundsen in Frobisher Bay, NU. From August 24 to 26, 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard joined the United States Navy, USCG, and the Royal Danish Navy for Operation NANOOK 2024, which is a yearly maritime exercise led by the Canadian Armed Forces to enhance surveillance and collective responsiveness in the Arctic. These continued partnerships play an important role in keeping northern waters safe and reinforces Canada's long-standing sovereignty in the North.

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Officials representing the governments of the United States, Canada, and Finland today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Washington to begin working together to develop world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers through the exchange of knowledge, information, and resources in each of the countries.

The groundbreaking MOU builds off the launch of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact by Prime Minister Trudeau, President Stubb, and President Biden concluded on the margins of the NATO Washington Summit last July.

Posing their signatures on the document were Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement; Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and Wille Rydman, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs.

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• The acquisition of 2 Polar Icebreakers is estimated to cost $8.5 billion. This cost includes all relevant components of the Development and Acquisition phases of the project.

• The first Polar Icebreaker is expected to be delivered in 2030-2031, and the second in 2032-2033. This represents a 1 and 2 year delay for the first and second vessels, respectively, relative to prior PBO work on this Project in 2021.

• A one-year delay to both vessels is estimated to cost an additional $260 million while a two-year delay is estimated to cost an additional $530 million.

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Eighty years ago, if you were to look down the shoreline from where Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards currently sit, you would have seen a flurry of non-stop activity by shipbuilders on the North Shore who were kept busy throughout the war effort to replenish the Allied fleet of merchant ships — critical for carrying supplies and equipment to the theatres of war in Europe and Asia. Fast forward to today, and supply ships for the Armed Forces are once again being built in North Vancouver at Vancouver Shipyards.

Shipbuilding in North Vancouver

Shipyards on the North Shore produced close to half of Canada’s total output of vessels during wartime and helped elevate the industrial waterfront into one known for its shipbuilding prowess. Today, the maritime influence on the region remains. Where Victory Ships were once being built during WWII, now stands a bustling community of restaurants, retail shops and condos: an area known as “The Shipyards”, where remnants and memorabilia of the wartime shipbuilding boom have been preserved for today’s generations to see and appreciate. Nestled in alongside this new community, is Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock, where over 200 people perform ship repair and maintenance on a variety of Canadian Coast Guard and commercial vessels.

For a period of time, shipbuilding in British Columbia, and elsewhere across the country, had been forgotten. A country with an abundance of natural resources and industrial capabilities is no stranger to boom & bust cycles – and shipbuilding was no different. Since the 1990s, construction of large vessels in Canada was essentially non-existent. And, just as importantly, gone with it was all of the accompanying knowledge, expertise, and hands-on skills.

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