Imtech Marine Takes Part in Major Canadian Shipbuilding Programme

Imtech N.V. (technical services provider in Europe and in the global marine market) announces that Imtech Marine will be involved in the realisation of the Canadian government’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) programme as a technology partner of Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards.

This programme involves the construction of a large number of navy, coast guard and research vessels. Imtech will be involved in the programme’s ‘non-combat’ section and expects to work on a total of eight vessels. Investment in this part of the programme amounts to some 8 billion euro. Imtech is Seaspan’s intended partner for the supply of the ships’ platform automation, electrical solutions, electric propulsion and air conditioning and climate control systems (HVAC). The formal granting of this partnership will considerably enlarge the company’s marine order book in the longer term.

Imtech CEO René van der Bruggen: ‘We would like to congratulate Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards, who have involved us as a partner in this major programme and who have presently been selected as the shipyard for the ‘non-combat’ vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Card. Seaspan is renowned for the solid expertise that it can exploit in the realisation of world-class ships. And naturally, in a shipbuilding market that is still characterised by reserve due to the economic and financial crises, this is also good news for our Marine division. Seaspan will be working together with a number of partners, in which Imtech is its intended partner for the ships’ automation, electrical infrastructure, electrical propulsion and air conditioning and climate control systems, as well as their integration on the basis of high-tech platform system integration. Our acquisition of Groupe Techsol Marine in mid-September 2011 and the local presence of our marine subsidiary Radio Holland Canada have contributed positively to our current position. All the more so since the Canadian government aims to boost local employment with this new shipbuilding programme. Imtech wishes to actively contribute to this objective.’

High-tech ships
The ‘non-combat’ section of the programme is expected to comprise two Joint Support Ships (JSS), which will each have a length of 175 m, as well as the option to realise another such vessel. These ships will supply the vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy – or the fleet they are sailing in – at sea, transport heavy or special equipment and support land operations from the water. In addition, their tasks will include humanitarian operations and civil activities like emergency management. The programme also outlines the construction of an 85-metre Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) that will conduct oceanographic research along Canada’s eastern coast, as well as three vessels (OFSC, Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels) that will conduct research into the fish stock and the development of local ecosystems along both the western and eastern coasts of Canada. Finally, Seaspan will be building a 140-metre long polar icebreaker that can be considered the ‘crown jewel’ of the new Canadian fleet. This high-tech icebreaker will be safeguarding Canada’s polar sovereignty in the country’s northern waters under the most extreme climate and weather conditions, as well as playing an important role in the protection of the environment and Canada’s natural heritage in the Arctic region.

Technological expertise and a solid production base
In part thanks to its wealth of expertise in the field of high-tech platform system integration, Imtech is ready to take on the challenge of supplying these vessel types with on-board technological solutions that are both distinctive and able to withstand extreme weather conditions. Via its subsidiary Groupe Techsol Marine, Imtech has an ultramodern, recently completed production centre in Quebec, where the company will be producing the on-board electrical solutions for these orders.

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Source: Imtech, October 24, 2011