- Steel Cut on Canada’s Most Advanced Polar Icebreaker at Seaspan Shipyards.
- Seaspan Launches Construction of Arctic-Class Icebreaker for Canadian Coast Guard.
- Made-in-Canada Polar Icebreaker Marks Historic Milestone for Arctic Sovereignty.
Seaspan reports that it has commenced construction on the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new heavy polar icebreaker, a significant milestone in Canada’s maritime history. It is the first heavy polar icebreaker to be constructed in Canada in more than six decades, and it will be one of the most sophisticated conventional polar icebreakers ever built.
A Strategic Asset for Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty
The new icebreaker will have a length of 158 metres and a beam of 28 metres and will be equipped for year-round, self-contained operations in the high Arctic. Intended to facilitate sovereignty, scientific research, Indigenous and northern communities, and emergency maritime response, this Polar Class 2 (PC2) icebreaker will be central to the capability of the Canadian Coast Guard to operate along more than 162,000 km of Arctic shoreline.
“Today’s milestone caps off an incredibly busy 10-month period for Seaspan, involving two first-of-class ship launches and the start of construction on this new world-class polar icebreaker. 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,” said John McCarthy, CEO, of Seaspan Shipyards
Unparalleled Capabilities and Design
The ship will be among the world’s only PC2-class ships, able to sail farther north, in tougher ice conditions, and for longer periods than any other Canadian icebreaker. The ship will have capacity for up to 100 crew and boast extensive advanced capabilities, including:
- IACS Polar Class 2 (PC2) heavy icebreaker classification
- Over 40MW installed power
- Ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system
- Scientific laboratories
- Moon pool for safe deployment of equipment
- Helicopter flight deck and hangar
- Vehicle garage and future RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) capability
Built-in Canada, for Canada
This ship is the seventh NSS-designed and constructed ship by Seaspan, and the fifth Polar Class ship for the Canadian Coast Guard. It is also one of a larger Seaspan commitment to provide up to 21 icebreaking ships under the NSS.
In preparation for this extremely sophisticated construction, Seaspan built a polar Prototype Block in January of 2024. This experimental build experimented with construction methods through the use of specialized, thicker, and less ductile steel specific to polar-class demands.
National Shipbuilding Strategy in Action
Being the sole shipyard in Canada that is constructing polar icebreakers, Seaspan’s state-of-the-art facilities, $200M+ private investment, and experienced workforce make it a market leader in large, complex vessel construction. The company has already delivered:
- Three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (now operational)
- An Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (soon to be delivered)
- Up to sixteen Multi-Purpose Icebreakers are underway in the engineering
Economic and National Impact
Seaspan has become a significant economic and employment driver for NSS:
- $5.7 billion added to Canada’s GDP since 2012 (Deloitte analysis)
- Over 7,000 jobs are created or maintained each year
- ~800 Canadian suppliers within its NSS supply chain, more than half of which are SMEs
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Source: Seaspan
