First steel cut for Canadian Coast Guard polar icebreaker

Canadian shipbuilder Chantier Davie has cut the first steel to be used in the construction of a new heavy icebreaker that will be operated in the Arctic.

Th vessel is being constructed for the Canadian Coast Guard under an industrial collaboration between Canadian-controlled facilities in Helsinki, Finland and Lévis, Canada. Construction on the vessel's hull will begin at Davie’s Helsinki Shipyard.

The largest proportion of the work on the vessel, and delivery of the ship to the Canadian Coast Guard, will be from Davie’s home facility in Lévis, which is simultaneously undergoing a CA$840 million (US$600 million) upgrade.

Davie said this will secure Canada’s long-term ability to design and build complex ships for current and future Arctic programs, while the hybrid build strategy will accelerate the delivery of the ship by several years ahead of the original schedule.

The new icebreaker is scheduled for delivery to the Canadian Coast Guard by 2030. In addition to icebreaking, it will perform duties such as Arctic scientific research, maritime emergency response, and delivery of goods and services to Canada's northern communities.