Canada Places Order with Seaspan for Construction of Heavy Polar Icebreaker
The Canadian government today, March 7, marked the contract signing for a new polar icebreaker to be built at Seaspan Shipyard making official an order first announced in 2021. Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government is renewing the fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard including two heavy polar icebreakers providing the Canadian Coast Guard the ability to operate self-sufficiently year-round in the high Arctic down to temperatures at -50° C.
The contract ceremony was led by the Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on behalf of the Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant. The government of Canada reported the value of the contract at C$ 3.15 billion (before tax) (US$2.2 billion) with the vessel to be built at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia.
“The contract awarded to Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards for the build of a new polar icebreaker underscores our dedication to ensuring safe and efficient navigation in Arctic regions,” said Wilkinson. “This state-of-the-art vessel will not only strengthen our icebreaking fleet, but will also support critical scientific research and environmental protection efforts, and ensure national security in the Arctic."
John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan, along with Minster Wilkinson at the contract ceremony (Seaspan)
With the contract now in place, Seaspan reports it is ready to cut steel on this ship and begin full-rate construction. It has scheduled the official start of construction for April 2025. The other polar icebreaker is being built by Chantier Davie Canada located in Quebec. That shipyard was awarded a contract valued at C$16.47 million (including taxes) (US$11.5 million) in September 2024 to advance work on a Polar-class icebreaker.
Seaspan highlights it will mark the first time a polar icebreaker has been built in Canada in more than 60 years. Building the complex and densely-outfitted multi-mission ship they report represents a significant challenge for the shipbuilders and when completed the vessels will have more advanced capabilities than the Canadian Coast Guard’s current heavy icebreakers.
The polar icebreakers will be 158 meters (518 feet) with a design displacement of 26,00 tons. They will have more than 40 MW of power with an ice-class azimuthing propulsion system. Functional design of the polar icebreaker was completed in 2024 by Seaspan working alongside established Finnish companies who have extensive experience in designing Arctic-going vessels.
Canada in November 2024 signed the ICE Pact Memorandum of Understanding with the United States and Finland to deepen existing cooperation, strengthen their shipbuilding industries, and allow new equipment and capabilities to be produced more quickly. The three countries committed to working more closely together to engage to help meet future global demand for Arctic and polar vessels.
The United States approved the contract for the construction of its first heavy polar icebreaker, Polar Sentinal, in December. It is the first of three heavy Polar icebreakers the U.S. ordered from VT Halter, which was later acquired by Bollinger. After long delays in the design phase, the U.S. expects to complete its first polar icebreaker in 2029.