Contract for pollution response vessels to help protect Canada’s west coast

Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) has awarded a construction contract to ASL Shipyards in Singapore for three Robert Allan Ltd-designed pollution response vessels.

Once delivered, they will act as motherships to smaller vessels in training exercises and respond to any spills – in line with WCMRC’s aims to increase its offshore spill response capability for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project.

The 25-metre-long coastal response vessels will deploy leading containment technologies, transfer equipment between vessels, and allow WCMRC to use internal tankage or offload any oil into spillage barges.

Designed to accommodate eight people in cabins, the vessels will reach speeds of 10 knots.