Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has cut the steel on the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new heavy polar icebreaker, signifying the start of the construction process on the vessel.
As informed, the polar icebreaker will measure 158 meters in length and have a width of 28 meters. It will be able to accommodate up to 100 personnel and, as one of the only Polar-class 2 vessels in the world, will be able to operate farther north, in more difficult ice conditions, and for longer periods than any icebreaker in Canada to date.
According to Seaspan, the vessel will play “a critical role” in enabling the Canadian Coast Guard to transit and operate on more than 162,000 km of the Arctic coastline. The capabilities of this Polar-class 2 icebreaker will help sustain a 12-month presence in Canada’s North and high-Arctic science (including climate change research). The ship will be able to respond to major maritime emergencies, including search and rescue.
In January 2024, Seaspan completed the construction of a polar prototype block to ensure preparedness to build this vessel. The construction contract was signed this month.
This built-in-Canada ship will be the seventh vessel designed and built by Seaspan under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). It will also be the fifth Polar-class vessel to be built for the CCG and one of up to 21 icebreaking vessels overall that Seaspan is constructing.
“The National Shipbuilding Strategy is showing that a made-in-Canada approach is not only possible, it is imperative to Canada’s security and sovereignty. We must continue to design and build ships here at home, to ensure that the experience, skills, and knowledge built through the NSS will be sustained. Seaspan looks forward to delivering this new polar icebreaker to the Canadian Coast Guard, and to building more Polar Class vessels for Canada and its allies,” Seaspan commented.