Above: The hull of the CCG’s newest icebreakers stands out from its predecessors because of its 60-millimetre-thick steel alloy hull, which will allow them to travel unrestricted in Arctic waters year-round. Credit: Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is increasing its capabilities in Canada’s Arctic regions with the construction of two state-of-the-art icebreakers, due to set sail in 2030.
The CCG currently operates two older heavy icebreakers — the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent and the CCGS Terry Fox. These new Canadian icebreakers, set to begin construction in late 2024, stand out from their predecessors due to the thickness of the steel used in their creation.
“It’s a 60-millimetre-thick specialized steel that we use in the polar icebreaker that is designed with a class-approved manufacturing process to ensure that we have the quality needed to withstand the rigours of the ice that it will encounter,” said Robert Wight, Director General of Vessel Procurement with the CCG.
“The internal framing of the ship is also very strong; very deep, but also very close together in terms of the distance between the frames. Where the hull has contact with the water and the ice, those frames are about 30 centimetres apart.”
Among other innovations, the CCG also retooled the bow shape of their upcoming vessels to be better suited for traveling through ice due to their rounded design.
“The polar is capable of breaking two-and-a-half metres of ice going at about three knots of speed,” said Wight. “The bow is built more for icebreaking than it is for open water. That is the difference between this and a regular ship. If you compare it to some of the past ships, say the Louis S. St-Laurent, the bow is just stronger. It’s able to withstand more ice, more pressure and therefore able to go more places in the Arctic at more times of the year.”
Currently, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent and the CCGS Terry Fox are limited as to where they can go in the Arctic and what times of year they can travel. These new polar icebreakers are designed with this gap in operational capacity in mind and will allow the CCG to reach all areas of the Arctic year-round, according to Wight. The vessels will also feature an increased capability of performing scientific research with an increased capacity for science personnel aboard.
“What these vessels will be able to do that the previous vessels could not do is reach the Arctic and safely overwinter and transit at all times of year. So, it will have a 12-month capability in the Arctic with one or two of the ships being up there, as required, within Canadian waters,” said Wight. “We have designed to a polar class two plus, which allows us entry into the Arctic pretty well everywhere at all points of the year.”
The shipyards that have been awarded the icebreaker contracts are Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, British Columbia, which will construct the first of two vessels, with the second vessel contract being awarded to Lévis, Québec-based Chantier Davie Canada Inc in April 2023. The first ship is expected to be complete in the latter half of 2030, just in time for the retirement of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.
“We’re very excited at the Coast Guard to have actually started this project,” said Wight. “We’ve seen steel cut, and we’ve been able to take pictures and share that around, so there’s great anticipation looking forward to 2030 to have this capability for Canadians in terms of Arctic science, Arctic sovereignty and Arctic presence.”
