Posted on March 14, 2025
The project is part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) to renew the fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Shipbuilders Chantier Davie Canada (Davie) and Seaspan have been contracted by the Government of Canada to build two advanced polar icebreakers.
This project is part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), aimed at renewing the fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).
These vessels will provide a significant upgrade in capabilities for the CCG’s Arctic operations.
Davie has secured a C$3.25bn ($2.25bn) contract to deliver a state-of-the-art polar icebreaker, with construction set to commence this year.
The contract involves the delivery of the Polar Max, a production-ready heavy icebreaker design, by 2030.
Davie will collaborate with Helsinki Shipyard, a recent acquisition supported by the Québec government, to expedite the ship’s delivery.
Concurrently, Davie will modernise its Levis Shipyard and recruit skilled workers to meet the project’s demands, with an exchange programme set to transfer Finnish expertise to Québec employees.
Davie president and CEO James Davies said: “Today’s announcement is truly transformative. Canada deserves immense credit for partnering with Davie on this groundbreaking procurement. Delivering such a special ship in a timely manner is in the best interests of all Canadians.”
Meanwhile, Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards will independently construct another polar icebreaker, marking the beginning of full-rate construction under the NSS in April this year.
The functional design of this vessel was completed in 2024, leveraging the largest marine design and engineering team in Canada and the expertise of Finnish companies experienced in Arctic ship design.
It will be one of the few Polar Class 2 ships in operation, enabling the CCG to operate independently year-round in the high Arctic, even in temperatures as low as -50°C.
The new polar icebreaker is the seventh NSS vessel and the fifth Polar Class vessel built for the CCG.
Seaspan’s contribution to the NSS includes the design and construction of up to 21 icebreaking vessels.
Seaspan Shipyards CEO John McCarthy said: “Today’s contract signing is the next step in our journey of fulfilling the vision of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which is to build ships for Canada, in Canada, by Canadians.
“The NSS is demonstrating that a made-in-Canada approach is not only possible, but also imperative to our security and sovereignty.”
In December 2024, Seaspan partnered with KVH Industries to implement the advanced OneWeb low earth orbit (LEO) satellite solution across its fleets, enhancing data connectivity infrastructure.
