Icebreakers News

Seaspan Shipyards has entered into a contract with Ideal Welders for the fabrication of 30 blocks of the new heavy Polar Icebreaker that Seaspan is building for the Canadian Coast Guard.Seaspan and Ideal Welders have had a long-standing, successful partnership — Ideal Welders has constructed many components of the ships Seaspan has built, including the bulbous bows of both Joint Support Ships, HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver.Seaspan cut steel on the new Polar Icebreaker in April 2025.

Seaspan Shipyards has awarded a contract to Elomatic Consulting, an international consulting and engineering company, to provide engineering and design support services for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Polar Icebreaker build contract.As one of the primary partners throughout the functional and production design phases of the Polar project, the award further strengthens Elomatic’s ongoing partnership with Seaspan.Under the contract, Elomatic will provide build design support, ensuring…

U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb sealed an agreement on Thursday for the U.S. Coast Guard to acquire up to 11 icebreaker ships to bolster U.S. national security in the Arctic.Trump and Stubb have established friendly ties since Trump regained power in January, and the two met in March at the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and played a round of golf.The two leaders approved a memorandum of understanding on icebreaker cooperation that is intended to lay the foundation for commercial agreements between the U.S.

The Arctic is no longer a remote expanse beyond the edges of global commerce — it is now a contested arena where strategic competition, energy development, and maritime innovation converge. As climate change accelerates sea ice retreat, previously impassable waters are opening to navigation for longer periods each year. This change unlocks shorter trade routes, exposes massive untapped hydrocarbon and minerals reserves, and creates demand for ships able to operate in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.In this evolving environment…

Seaspan Shipyards has signed a contract with Newfoundland-based Genoa Design International to provide technical design services for the Canadian Coast Guard’s new heavy polar icebreaker.Under the deal, Genoa will expand its workforce to more than 100 naval architecture and marine systems designers as it supports the vessel’s design and build phases at Vancouver Shipyards, as part of the agreement that extends a long-standing partnership between the two Canadian firms.The new heavy polar icebreaker will be the first of its kind built in Canada in over 60 years.

Davie Defense Inc. gives a first glimpse today of the “American Icebreaker Factory” – a planned $1 billion transformation of the historic Gulf Copper shipyard in Galveston, Texas.The American Icebreaker Factory concept was created in collaboration with Florida-based Pearlson, which has led major projects for leading American shipbuilders, including BAE Systems, Austal USA and Fincantieri Marinette.The American Icebreaker Factory project embodies the Trump Administration’s priorities…

Davie shipyard has officially begun construction of the Polar Max icebreaker, a vessel that, once delivered by 2030, is expected to redefine Canada’s Arctic capabilities.The Polar Max is a production-ready heavy icebreaker designed to operate in some of the world’s harshest conditions. The vessel will support Canada’s Arctic sovereignty, critical scientific missions, environmental protection efforts, and maritime security.Uniquely, Polar Max will be constructed through an innovative industrial collaboration between Canadian-controlled facilities in Helsinki, Finland and Lévis, Canada.

The owner of Canadian firm Davie Shipbuilding said on Wednesday that the key to winning a contract to build icebreakers for the United States is to develop local shipbuilding capacity there.Davie said in June it was acquiring Texas shipyards in Galveston and Port Arthur, and on Wednesday Alex Vicefield, CEO of Davie's holding company British Inocea Group, said for the first time that the shipbuilder is bidding for the contract from the U.S. administration."It's under discussion how they (the U.S.) would want to do it, but certainly, the key to it is you have to develop U.S.

Without a way for industry to work together, the US, Canada, and Finland will not achieve the aims of the ICE pact, writes Denis Morais, CEO SSI.The United States and Canada have made no secret of their desire to add to their ice-breaking capacity, with ambitious plans to build the new tonnage in their home countries.The US has indicated it could need as many as 40 new icebreaking vessels, in addition to ice-class tonnage that could be required to support operations in the high north.

The U.S. Coast Guard has officially commissioned the USCGC Storis (WAGB 21) in Juneau, Alaska.The vessel is the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in over 25 years. The Storis, formerly the motor vessel Aiviq, was acquired on December 20, 2024, and subsequently renamed after modifications to enhance its communication and defense capabilities.Storis is manned by a hybrid crew of military cuttermen and civilian mariners. It will be temporarily berthed in Seattle, Washington…

Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for an icebreaking research vessel project, led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and intended for polar research at the Polar Research Institute, an affiliate of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology.The contract is expected to be signed this month, with the vessel completed by December 2029.The 16,560 gross ton vessel will be equipped with an LNG dual-fuel electric propulsion system and capable of breaking through 1.5-meter-thick ice in both directions.

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries  said on Wednesday that two orders from Russia's Zvezda worth a total of 4.85 trillion won ($3.54 billion) for icebreaker ships were cancelled due to "illegal termination by the shipowner".Samsung Heavy said in regulatory filings that in June 2024, Zvezda shipyard unilaterally informed the South Korean company of the contract termination and insisted on the return of advance payments.In July, Samsung filed an arbitration request with the Singapore arbitration court to affirm the illegality of the termination, while engaging in negotiations with

Davie, a leader in icebreaker and specialized vessel construction, announced plans to acquire shipbuilding assets in Galveston and Port Arthur from Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation — marking a major step toward revitalizing large-scale shipbuilding of icebreakers in the United States. The move underscores growing momentum behind domestic production of ice-capable vessels and aligns with U.S. maritime security and industrial revitalization goals.The deal, expected to close in summer 2025…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, has departed on its maiden voyage.The motor vessel Aiviq, acquired Dec. 20, 2024, from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, was renamed Storis following modifications to enhance communications and self-defense capabilities.The vessel will expand U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of…

The Department of Homeland Security approved full production of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC), April 30, 2025. The Service also received approval for low-rate initial production of the the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC). This is a milestone for the Nation, as it brings the Coast Guard closer to renewing and enhancing operational capabilities in both the American heartland and the polar regions.Approval for full production enables the Coast Guard and U.S.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has chosen Aker Arctic to design a Baltic Sea assistance icebreaker as part of the Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea III (WINMOS III) project co-financed by the European Union.The initial design phase will include the evaluation of different fuel alternatives and machinery configurations suitable for icebreakers. In addition, the use of different electric energy storage systems to balance out the load fluctuation will be…

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has launched Japan’s first Arctic research vessel, named Mirai II.The construction of the Mirai II vessel began in 2021, at Japan Marine United Corporation’s shipyard.The vessel is 128 meters long, with the with of 23 meters, and draft spanning 8 meters.The vessel’s tonnage stands at 13,000 tons, and is said to be capable of continuously breaking 1.2m of flat one-year ice at a ship speed of 3.0kt.Mirai II will be capable of accommodating 97 people on board…

German naval conglomerate Thyssenkrupp and Finland-based consulting and engineering company Elomatic have signed a design and engineering contract to support the development of a new Polarstern ship, bound to become the largest and most advanced research and polar logistics icebreaker.The ship will be built at the large and modern shipyard of tkMS in Wismar. The shipyard has a remarkable track record in developing complex icebreaking ships, with more than 120 ships built for polar regions.In December 2024…

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar has delivered a new Ice-Class tug to Finland-based operator Alfons Håkans to work in the waters of the northern Baltic Sea.Named AJAX by its new owner, the tug is based on the TundRA 2600 design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan and has been uniquely designed to meet the operator’s individual needs.Measuring 25.8 m LOA with a moulded beam of 11.8 m, least moulded depth of 5.2 m and navigational draft of 5.05 m, AJAX can perform multiple tasks including escort…

Finland will replace one of its eight existing icebreakers with a new vessel to secure open routes in the Baltic Sea year round, the Finnish government said on Monday.The announcement followed the signing of an "ICE Pact" last month, a deal between the United States, Canada and Finland to jointly advance their Arctic and polar icebreaker development in order to counter Russia and China in increasingly strategic polar regions.Navigable maritime routes are crucial for Finland's foreign trade, with statistics showing some 96% of its imports and exports being shipped via the Baltic Sea, the security of which is also a growing concern for NATO."The acquisition of 'Aino' is the first step towards a major renewal program for our icebreakers…

The Canadian Coast Guard has called off a search for a crewmember believed to have gone overboard from one of its icebreaker vessels off Newfoundland's northeast coast. The CCGS Vincent Massey crewmember, who was reportedly last seen aboard the ship on Sunday evening, was reported missing at 8:15 a.m. on Monday when the vessel arrived in St. John's.An "extensive" search involving Canadian Coast Guard vessels, aircraft and vessels from other federal sources was launched but proved unsuccessful.

Seaspan on Thursday announced its Vancouver Drydock has completed a Vessel Life Extension (VLE) program for the 38-year-old Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier. After undocking at the end of April 2024, the vessel completed an in-water work period in preparation for ship commissioning and sea trials, finally departing Seaspan on August 17, 2024.According to Seaspan, the ship repair and overhaul project was the largest and most complex ever undertaken at Vancouver Drydock.The entire project consisted of more than100 separate upgrades including…

Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, has released the names of the Canadian Coast Guard’s two future Polar Icebreakers: the CCGS Arpatuuq and CCGS Imnaryuaq.The vessels’ names were chosen in collaboration with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami for their cultural significance to Inuit. The CCGS Arpatuuq references Akpatok Island, an uninhabited island in Nunavik, on the northern coast of Quebec. The island is an important geographical landmark in Ungava Bay that has been used by Inuit of Nunavik for centuries.