Davie secures deal for design of icebreaker fleet by Canada’s government

Image credit: Davie

Canada, Finland and the U.S. have agreed to work together to build more Arctic and polar icebreakers to improve shipping in Arctic waters.

Demand for these specialized, hard-to-build ships is arguably at an all-time high, with more than 80 open projects among Western countries, says Canada’s shipbuilder Davie.

Russia has a fleet of 40 icebreakers and more in production, a U.S. official said last week.

China has declared itself a “near Arctic state” and has been engaged in a major program to construct icebreakers.

The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, announced last Thursday is expected to create jobs related to shipbuilding, marine equipment manufacturers, and many other related services across all three countries.

The agreement will ensure collaboration and information sharing to develop “best-in-class Arctic and polar icebreakers and other Arctic and polar capabilities” in each country.

The countries said they are also open to other countries joining them and the utility of the icebreakers is not limited to the region.

“In the Arctic, new, faster shipping lanes hold the potential to create new economic opportunities and drive down shipping costs. And in the Antarctic, our partnership can also foster increased scientific research and international collaboration,” according to a joint statement by the three countries.

In a news release on Thursday, Davie – the Canada-based multinational shipbuilder – announced its intention to be among the first private sector contributors to an historic trilateral agreement between the governments of Canada, Finland, and the United States.

Davie’s Finnish business, Helsinki Shipyard, has built over 50% of the global icebreaker fleet. Davie is also building the world’s largest order book of polar icebreakers for the government of Canada in Québec.

Separately, Seaspan Shipyards is tasked with designing, building and delivering 21 icebreaker vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard.

The shipbuilder has already delivered three icebreaker vessels, and a fourth will be delivered early next year.

“We are currently well into the design of a heavy Polar icebreaker that will provide year-round operations across the entire Canadian Arctic. Construction of that vessel will start later this year.  We are also well into the design of 16 additional medium icebreaker vessels that will be built and delivered over the next 10-20 years,” Seaspan noted.

Over the next six months, Canada, Finland and the U.S. will jointly develop a plan “to build these highly complex and critical vessels for our allies and partners with interests and responsibilities in the Arctic and Antarctic regions,” according to the joint statement.

The joint statement highlights, “This partnership is about more than the collective production of polar icebreakers and capabilities, including Arctic and polar-capable ships.”

The statement concludes by saying, “It is about providing the capability for like-minded nations to uphold international rules, norms, and standards to sustain peace and stability in the Arctic and Antarctic regions for generations to come.”