Seaspan Shipyards

Seaspan’s new drydock recently arrived in the Vancouver Harbour via a heavy lift ship and with some help from three Seaspan tugboats, the new drydock is now anchored near the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge as it awaits a new paint job.  

This drydock is part of a planned expansion at Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock and will increase Seaspan’s capacity for ship repair projects by about 30 percent, which will result in approximately 100 new, well-paying local jobs.

The new drydock is the larger of the two drydocks that Seaspan has planned, and both will be installed following the construction of a work pontoon, and other in-water works such as the installation of piles.

Seaspan Vancouver Drydock is an integral part of the marine and Port sector and provides maintenance, overhaul, and repair for customers like BC Ferries and the Canadian Coast Guard. The drydock expansion will increase Seaspan’s capacity to support the West Coast marine industry.

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A BC Ferries vessel hasn’t been built in British Columbia since the start of the century, but later this month, the ferry company is slated to put out a competitive call for builders of its next seven major vessels.

B.C. shipbuilding giant Seaspan along with unions and suppliers have launched a new campaign dubbed Build Ferries BC that aims to have those vessels built here.

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Today at CANSEC, Canada’s leading defence & security tradeshow, Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards presented its progress towards completing the functional design on the first heavy Polar Icebreaker in Canada in over 60 years. Functional Design of the vessel is now more than 70 per cent complete and 3D modelling of the vessel is well advanced, setting the stage for Seaspan to cut steel on the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet before the end of the year.

 With Canada’s current largest Icebreaker, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, expected to retire at the end of the decade, the new Polar Icebreaker will be one of the world’s largest, most capable and powerful icebreakers. While designed and built before the implementation of the Polar Code, the Louis’ capability is akin to a Polar Class 4. Canada’s operational requirements drive to building a new Polar Class 2 icebreaker that can independently operate anywhere in the Arctic year round – this capability includes the ability to operate at -50 degrees Celsius which introduces considerable complexity to the design and build of the vessel.

Most icebreakers primarily break ice.  The new Polar Icebreaker will also be capable of fulfilling many different demanding missions necessary for Canada including a wide array of Arctic science missions, search and rescue, security, navigation, transportation and emergency response.   This impressive range of capabilities also adds to the design and engineering challenges that are being addressed by the Canadian Coast Guard and the Seaspan team.

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B.C. Ferries has issued a notice that it intends to split ­drydocking and repair services for its fleet between three B.C. shipyards.

The plan is for the majority of work to go to Victoria’s Point Hope Maritime Ltd., at 46 per cent, and Seaspan ULC, also at 46 per cent. Seaspan owns Vancouver Shipyards and has its own drydock in North Vancouver and owns Victoria Shipyards. Various companies rent the huge federal Esquimalt Graving Dock.

Vancouver’s Allied Shipbuilders Ltd. which has two floating drydocks, would receive eight per cent of the work.

B.C. Ferries estimates the total value of drydocking work will be at $14.5 million per year for the next five years.

Contracts, called master service agreements, would be for five years, with the option to extend for up to 10 years, said B.C. Ferries spokesman Jeff Groot.

The aim is for contracts to begin in the second quarter of this year.

Work would be “bundled” into contracts. B.C. Ferries normally awards individual contracts when vessels need to go into ­drydock but, about five years ago, it bundled seven vessels to Point Hope Maritime.

Both Point Hope and Seaspan will work on minor, intermediate and large vessels. Allied will work on minor and intermediate-sized vessels.

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Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engines for a new Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker. The ship is being designed and built at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards and will be the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet. Because of the long operational range required for the vessel’s employment in arctic waters, fuel efficiency was a prime design consideration in the selection of the Wärtsilä 31 engine. The Wärtsilä 31 engine has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine and was therefore considered an obvious choice. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2023.

The 158 metre-long multi-mission Polar Icebreaker will operate under PC2 conditions with four 16-cylinder and two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines, delivering 47 MW of power. The engines will be fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems for IMO Tier III environmental compliance. Wärtsilä will also supply the centre shaft line with a stainless-steel ice-class propeller, as well as Wärtsilä’s NACOS Platinum navigation system.

“Wärtsilä has a fine track record and years of experience in delivering high-class marine technologies including recently delivering the propulsion equipment for the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV), plus the diesel generator sets for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) built at Seaspan for the Canadian Coast Guard,” commented Leo Martin, Senior Vice President – Programs, Seaspan Shipyards.

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Propulsion has been selected for a series of Polar-class emergency response and security vessels being built in Canada

Seaspan Shipyards is building six multipurpose ice-breaking vessels designed by Aker Arctic for the Canadian Coast Guard as part of the national shipbuilding strategy to operate in Canadian waters.

It has contracted Steerprop to provide Polar Class 4 (PC 4) propulsion packages for these newbuild vessels, including two contra-rotating propulsors (CRP) for main propulsion and two tunnel thrusters for auxiliary manoeuvring for each ship.

These will be designed, engineered and manufactured to meet the stringent operational demands of the vessels in Arctic waters and along the seaboards of Canada.

CRP units facilitate efficient ice management, which is important for maintaining safe navigation channels and responding to emergencies in icy conditions, while reducing energy consumption and emissions.

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The federal government is giving a massive financial injection to the B.C. shipbuilding industry.

The Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver will receive more than $490 million over two contracts for the next stages in building Multi-Purpose Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard.

“The Multi-Purpose Vessel project will help ensure that members of the Canadian Coast Guard have versatile vessels to complete essential missions in Canada’s oceans and waterways,” Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos said Tuesday.

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Victoria-based  MarineLabs, a leader in cutting edge maritime weather intelligence technology, proudly announces the successful completion of a historic $4.5 million seed funding round, marking the largest investment of its kind in Canadian history for an ocean tech company, which will directly benefit Canada’s marine industry.

The funding was led by BDC Capital’s Sustainability Venture Fund with participation from Seaspan Shipyards, a leader in Canada’s ship design, engineering, building and ship repair industry.

This substantial investment will propel MarineLabs’ forward as it continues to revolutionize the maritime industry with its flagship product, CoastAware. The latter is a real-time weather intelligence solution that enhances safety, efficiency, and sustainability in maritime operations by providing users with detailed, actionable, real-time, and historical weather conditions data for informed decision-making.

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• ABB has secured a comprehensive propulsion system contract with Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyard for the first of the Canadian Coast Guard’s new-generation polar icebreakers
   
• The icebreaker is expected to be the world’s largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker when it enters service in 2030
   
• Azipod® propulsion has been selected to support the vessel’s operational efficiency, reliability and icebreaking capability, meeting tightest emissions regulations

Seaspan Shipyards, Canada’s long-term shipbuilding partner for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Royal Canadian Navy, has awarded ABB a contract to deliver an integrated propulsion system for the first of the CCG’s new-generation polar class icebreakers.

The vessel is expected to be one of the world’s largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker when it enters service in 2030, with ABB supplying vessel systems complying with IACS Polar Class 2 requirements for year-round operations in moderate multi-year ice conditions. The vessel will have 34MW of propulsive power provided by a single shaftline and twin Azipod® units. In addition to increasing efficiency and reliability, Azipod® propulsors offer improved maneuverability in icy waters.

This major marine systems order marks a significant milestone for ABB in Canada, with ABB assuming the role of single system integrator responsible for the engineering, delivery and commissioning of the comprehensive propulsion package.

Upon delivery, the vessel will join a reference list of 150 other icebreaking or icegoing vessels outfitted with ABB’s propulsion technology. As the first vessel of its kind to be built in Canada in over 60 years, it will set a performance benchmark for the new generation of domestically built coast guard icebreakers.

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Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has successfully completed construction of the 'Prototype Block' for the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) Polar Icebreaker program. Construction of this Prototype Block ensures that Seaspan has the proper processes, procedures, equipment, and skills necessary to build the first heavy Polar Icebreaker in Canada in more than 60 years.

Seaspan developed and built this Prototype Block to ensure that our production teams are fully prepared to cut steel on the Polar Icebreaker in late 2024. The process of building the Prototype Block resulted in learnings in three key areas: improvements in design for manufacturing; testing of new equipment, processes and procedures; and validation of first-time quality in manufacturing to form and weld this new, specialized and thicker steel.

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At an event today in St. John’s, Genoa Design International of Newfoundland and Labrador and Seaspan Shipyards of British Columbia, signed a contract related to the construction of Canada’s new Polar Icebreaker. The deal will see Genoa provide 3D modeling and design technology services for the program, resulting in up to 100 employees working on the project for the next several years.

Genoa Design has played a critical role on several other vessels already built or underway at Seaspan Shipyards under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Genoa’s expertise in digital ship models along with their experience as a global leader in cold-ocean technology and ice-prone environment projects makes for an ideal coast-to-coast partnership for the Icebreaker.

As the future flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet, the Polar Icebreaker will weigh in at close to 28,000 tonnes, will be 158 metres long and be able to accommodate up to 100 personnel. Innovations in design and construction will ensure the yet to be named vessel will have the capability to operate further north and for longer periods than any current icebreaker in the country’s fleet. Production of the ship is expected to begin in late 2024.

The Polar Icebreaker will be an incredibly complex ship, designed to operate in the Arctic’s ice-covered waters and will play a critical role in enabling the Canadian Coast Guard to transit and protect more than 162,000 km of Arctic coastline. The capabilities will help sustain a year-round presence in Canada’s North in support of Indigenous Peoples and other northern communities, Arctic sovereignty, high-Arctic science (including climate change research), and the ability to respond to major maritime emergencies including search and rescue.

The Polar Icebreaker is part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Announced in 2010, the initiative’s purpose is to renew Canada's federal fleet of combat and non-combat vessels while providing significant economic benefits to Canadians and rebuilding our country’s shipbuilding industry.

Working together on the Polar Icebreaker continues the strong relationship between Genoa and Seaspan. Since the launch of the NSS, the companies have worked together on two Joint Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy, the CCGS John Cabot (an Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel) and an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, both for the Canadian Coast Guard.

About Genoa Design International

Genoa Design has been providing detail design and 3D modeling services in Canada and the United States since 1995. With 200 employees spread between Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Albert, British Columbia, and Louisiana, the company plays crucial roles on Coast Guard and Navy projects in North America. As a tier-1 supplier under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Genoa has become an industry leader and will continue to work to strengthen the marine sector in its home province and abroad.

About Seaspan Shipyards

Seaspan Shipyards is a leader in Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry with modern facilities and a dedicated workforce in North Vancouver and Victoria, Seaspan Shipyards has proven itself to be a trusted partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector. Seaspan Shipyards is proud to be one of Canada’s chosen shipbuilding partners under the National Shipbuilding Strategy and is delivering state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Over the past 12 years, Seaspan has contributed $5.7 billion to Canada’s GDP and has generated 7,330 annual jobs annually and is forecasted to contribute an additional $20.7 billion to GDP while sustaining or creating about 11,000 jobs annually through 2035. 

Quick Facts About the Polar Icebreaker

• With a displacement of 27,876 tonnes, the Polar Icebreaker will be 158 metres long and 28 metres wide, and able to accommodate up to 100 personnel. It will be able to operate farther north, in more difficult ice conditions and for longer periods than any icebreaker in Canada to date.

• The primary missions of the Polar Icebreaker include search and rescue, Arctic science, environmental response, Northern resupply, and protecting Canada’s sovereignty.

• Highlights of key design features, include:
  • IACS Polar Class 2 (PC2) Heavy Icebreaker
  • More than 40MW of installed power
  • Ice-classed azimuthing propulsion system
  • Complex, multi-role mission capability
  • Scientific Laboratories
  • Moon Pool (to allow for safe deployment of equipment from within the ship)
  • Helicopter flight deck and hangar
  • Vehicle Garage and future Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) capability

Quotes

“This is a significant day for Genoa of course, but also for Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada as a whole. Genoa’s contribution to the Polar Icebreaker and the continued faith in the company’s capabilities that Seaspan has shown demonstrate the considerable benefits of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. It also shows that companies in this province can successfully collaborate widely regardless of geography or time zone. This new project will provide exciting work to our highly skilled employees for years to come and the knowledge gained will serve Genoa well as we look to future opportunities.”

- Gina Pecore, CEO, Genoa Design International

“Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Seaspan is helping to transform Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industries through innovation, partnerships and developing world-class talent. Our relationship with Genoa goes back many years and we are excited to have them continue to partner with us as we design and build the first heavy Polar Icebreaker in Canada in more than 60 years. Over the next 25 years, Seaspan plans to deliver 19 large, complex vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy and with the help of a sustainable, strategic industry stretching from coast to coast.”

- Leo Martin, Senior Vice President, Programs, Seaspan Shipyards

“The Canadian Coast Guard eagerly awaits the design and construction of the polar icebreakers, which will extend our on-water operations and ensure the continuous delivery of critical services in the high Arctic. This includes search and rescue, environmental and humanitarian response, as well as playing a key role in supporting ocean science. Congratulations to Seaspan Shipyards and Genoa Design International on striking this new partnership.”

- Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard

In an effort to expand early access to skills training and education, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, in conjunction with Seaspan and Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY), is donating $5.527 million to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to deliver trades training to high school students.

The funding will be used to establish a new Trades Foundation for Youth Program that will see BCIT providing technical training at four high schools for in-demand skilled trades: Piping, Electrical, Metal Fabrication, and Marine Fitter, marking a substantial investment that will significantly expand skilled trades opportunities for young people.

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Today, Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) and its 
more than 3,900 employees were proud to host a ceremonial keel laying event for the 
Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) future HMCS Preserver. 

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Ottawa – Gastops, a global leader in intelligent condition monitoring solutions, announced a significant contract award from Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards (Seaspan) to support the Canadian Coast Guard’s Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) Project.

Gastops is a long-standing provider of specialized propulsion system integration services to Naval, Coast Guard and system integrators, shipyards, and marine control system companies around the world.  Gastops utilizes dynamic simulations to validate propulsion machinery selection, develop and substantiate propulsion machinery control algorithms, evaluate propulsion machinery performance, and support the marine propulsion system design process. 

Under this agreement, Gastops will leverage its expertise in dynamic simulations of marine propulsion and electric plants to evaluate and optimize system performance and efficiency of the MPV’s propulsion machinery through a process referred to as Dynamic Response Analysis (DRA).

The contract requires a comprehensive DRA of the Electric Propulsion System to verify control algorithms for the propulsion system, assess performance of the propulsion machinery, and aid in design of the electric propulsion system. The use of a dynamic simulation model of the ship will allow the propulsion and integrated electrical systems to be analyzed for all anticipated vessel maneuvers.

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Eighty years ago, if you were to look down the shoreline from where Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards currently sit, you would have seen a flurry of non-stop activity by shipbuilders on the North Shore who were kept busy throughout the war effort to replenish the Allied fleet of merchant ships — critical for carrying supplies and equipment to the theatres of war in Europe and Asia. Fast forward to today, and supply ships for the Armed Forces are once again being built in North Vancouver at Vancouver Shipyards.

Shipbuilding in North Vancouver

Shipyards on the North Shore produced close to half of Canada’s total output of vessels during wartime and helped elevate the industrial waterfront into one known for its shipbuilding prowess. Today, the maritime influence on the region remains. Where Victory Ships were once being built during WWII, now stands a bustling community of restaurants, retail shops and condos: an area known as “The Shipyards”, where remnants and memorabilia of the wartime shipbuilding boom have been preserved for today’s generations to see and appreciate. Nestled in alongside this new community, is Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock, where over 200 people perform ship repair and maintenance on a variety of Canadian Coast Guard and commercial vessels.

For a period of time, shipbuilding in British Columbia, and elsewhere across the country, had been forgotten. A country with an abundance of natural resources and industrial capabilities is no stranger to boom & bust cycles – and shipbuilding was no different. Since the 1990s, construction of large vessels in Canada was essentially non-existent. And, just as importantly, gone with it was all of the accompanying knowledge, expertise, and hands-on skills.

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