Seaspan Shipyards cuts steel on a ‘Prototype Block’ for a Polar Icebreaker in Canada
by CM Staff
Seaspan is developing a Prototype Block to test the new systems, processes, people, and tools that are required to work with some of the very thick, specialized steel that is required to manufacture a heavy Polar Icebreaker.
Seaspan Shipyards cuts steel on a ‘Prototype block’ for a Polar Icebreaker in Canada
VANCOUVER — On May 31, Seaspan Shipyards cut steel to build a ‘Prototype Block’, marking a step in Seaspan’s Polar Icebreaker Program. Seaspan is designing and building the first heavy Polar Icebreaker in Canada in more than 60 years, harnessing strengths across its multidisciplinary shipbuilding team for the project that has been developed under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).
Before full rate construction on the Polar Icebreaker begins, Seaspan is developing a Prototype Block to test the new systems, processes, people, and tools that are required to work with some of the very thick, specialized steel that is required to manufacture a heavy Polar Icebreaker. Some of this steel will be up to 60-millimeters thick, to enable the ship to safely navigate through the multi-year ice that is found in the Arctic. The lessons learned from building the Prototype Block will be used to help improve the quality and efficiency of the process for designing and manufacturing the vessel when production begins in late 2024.
“Cutting steel on the Prototype Block is a key milestone for the Polar Icebreaker Program and demonstrates Seaspan’s capabilities across engineering, design, supply chain, planning and production. The prototype is just one example of the team’s dedication to learning and continuous improvement, as we prepare to commence full rate construction,” said Martin Edwards, Chief Program Officer at Seaspan Shipyards.
“The construction of the Prototype Block for the first Polar Icebreaker is an exciting milestone for us at the Canadian Coast Guard. Once completed, the Polar Icebreaker will be sailing in Arctic waters and establishing our sovereignty in the region while supporting critical work such as icebreaking operations, maritime emergencies, Arctic science research, and the safe delivery of goods and services to Northern communities. I am very excited to have arrived at this point and look forward to the start of full-rate production in the coming years,” said Mario Pelletier, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
The Polar Icebreaker will be a complex ship, designed to operate in the Arctic’s ice-covered waters, and will play a role in enabling the Canadian Coast Guard to transit and protect more than 162,000 km of Arctic coastline. The capabilities of the Polar Icebreaker 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.
