Posted on November 15, 2021
The Canadian Coast Guard is set get a fourth interim icebreaker converted from a former icebreaking offshore vessel. Earlier this week it reported that, following a competitive process, it had purchased “a commercial light icebreaker” from New Brunswick-based Atlantic Towing Limited at a cost of CAD 45,203,547 (about US$36 million).
The vessel is identified as the Mangystau-2, currently home-ported in Turkmenistan. Interestingly, Kazakhstan-based Caspian Offshore services lists sister ship Mangystau-1 as an icebreaking offshore stand-by vessel.
Mangystau-2, delivered in 2010 by the Vard Braila shipyard in Romania, is expected to arrive before the end of the year at its temporary home in Canada at Coast Guard’s Prescott base in Ontario. On its arrival, CCG will undertake inspection and design work to prepare for the conversion of the vessel in order for it to join the Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet.
Public Services and Procurement Canada will issue a public tender for the refit work in early 2022. Canada’s three previous interim icebreakers were all converted to their new role at Davie Shipbuilding.
On joining the Coast Guard fleet, the converted vessel will perform icebreaking duties as well as tend the Coast Guard’s navigational buoys in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, and Atlantic regions. In addition, the vessel will be available for search and rescue duties when needed.
