Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards (Seaspan) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the supplier of steel products Stigterstaal Canada and Algoma Steel, a fully integrated Canadian producer of hot and cold rolled steel sheet and plate, to reestablish a domestic steel supply chain focused on bolstering and expanding shipbuilding in Canada.
The memorandum provides a framework for the three companies to assess the feasibility of Algoma Steel supplying class and non-class steel to Seaspan through Stigterstaal, who will act as a commercial and logistical subcontractor.
They will also engage in discussions to evaluate technical, commercial and logistical requirements for Seaspan’s first-in-class icebreaker build.
The collaboration also seeks to strengthen Canadian industrial capabilities and support the long-term sustainability of the national shipbuilding sector.
In April, Seaspan began construction on the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new heavy polar icebreaker. The ship will be used for scientific expeditions, search and rescue missions, and protecting Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.
Capable of breaking 2.5 metres of ice continuously, the ship will be used for year-round operations in the Arctic.
The heavy icebreaker is the seventh vessel designed and built by Seaspan under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).
“This signed Memorandum of Understanding paves the way for Seaspan, Stigterstaal and Algoma to build on our shared goals of mutual economic benefits to our nation. Seaspan is committed to partnering with Algoma and Stigterstaal for future shipbuilding initiatives, ensuring that knowledge from other shipbuilding and icebreaking jurisdictions is developed in Canada,” said Kate Morton, vice president, supply chain management, Seaspan.
