Construction is underway on two new polar icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that will be capable of spending the entire winter in the Arctic.
“These are very big, very powerful ships that can break a lot of ice. They can spend year-round in the Arctic anywhere they need to be at any time of year. That’s their capability. We never had that before. Their mission is to focus entirely on the Arctic. They’ll come south for maintenance and that’s the only time we’ll see them down south,” said Peter Egener, Director General of Vessel Procurement for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The two ships will be among the most powerful icebreakers in the world, enabling the CCG to operate at higher latitudes for longer periods, help the fleet better support Indigenous Peoples and other northerners, strengthen Arctic security as part of Canada’s increasingly rigorous security requirements in Arctic waters, which are becoming more accessible due to climate change, advance high Arctic science and improve responses to maritime emergencies.
The 160-metre long (520 feet) CCGS Imnaryuaq is being built by Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards (VSY) in British Columbia. The expected delivery date is 2032. The project budget is $3.15 billion for the construction contract and $1.12 billion (combined total of ancillary, construction engineering and long lead items contracts). The start of full-rate production of the new polar icebreaker was July 2025.
The 138-metre (450 feet) CCGS Arpatuuq is being built by Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (CDCI) in Lévis, Québec. The expected vessel delivery date is 2030. The project budget is $3.25 billion for the design and build contract and $14.3 million (ancillary contract). The contract was awarded to CDCI for the final design and construction in March 2025.
In February, Chantier Davie announced they had reached a major milestone with the rolling of Canadian-made steel for the polar icebreaker at Algoma Steel’s Sault Ste. Marie facility. The first steel plates will be shipped to Lévis where the vessel will be constructed.
“This is pretty exciting times for us. These are cool, impressive ships, especially the polar icebreakers that are coming our way. It’s pretty exciting to be able to send ships up in the Arctic and spend the winter there,” said Egener.
Egener said the polar breakers are “going to be fully integrated electric ships… there’s a lot of innovation.”
The polar icebreakers will not have a rudder. Instead, they will be outfitted with azimuth thrusters. “These are thrusters that can rotate 360 degrees in any direction independently so the ships will have no rudder. Instead, their direction will be controlled by these pods. That will give them a whole bunch of maneuverability in ice, so that’s pretty exciting as well,” said Egener.
The six new program icebreakers, also being built at Chantier Davie Canada Inc., will be the same way with thrusters said Egener.
The new program icebreakers will replace six existing icebreakers in the fleet. They will be in the 116-metre range (380) and will replace the CCG’s heavy and medium icebreakers that operate in Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence waterways during the winter and in the Arctic during the summer.
In Atlantic Canada, the program icebreakers perform icebreaking services, escort ships through ice-covered waters and help clear ice from harbours and wharves, which is essential to Canada’s commercial fisheries. In the Arctic, they provide icebreaking support to ships, ensuring the safe transport of vital supplies, goods and people in Canadian waters.
“There’s no firm date when they will be built yet because it’s early days with Davie. The contracts awarded for those are the early ones. Some initial design work… what we call an auxiliary contract. We’re definitely post 2030, so they are a bit of a distance off,” said Egener.
The CCG has 18 breakers in its current fleet. “Our fleet is pretty old, so we’re all pretty excited about the ships that will be coming our way and replacing our ships,” said Egener.
