Construction of Canada’s Polar Max heavy icebreaker starts in Finland

Image: Davie

In what it hails as “a historic milestone for the Canadian shipbuilding industry,” Lévis, Quebec-headquartered Davie today officially began construction of the Polar Max icebreaker at its Helsinki Shipyard subsidiary in Finland.

While construction on the Polar Max hull will begin at Davie’s Helsinki Shipyard, the largest proportion of the work on the Polar Max, and delivery of the ship to the Canadian Coast Guard, will be from Davie’s home facility in Lévis, Quebec, which is simultaneously undergoing a CAD 840 million upgrade.

Davie says that this hybrid approach will secure Canada’s long-term ability to design and build complex ships for current and future Arctic programs. The build strategy will accelerate the delivery of the ship by several years ahead of the original schedule. It will also bring forward job creation and the transfer of shipbuilding know-how to Canada, while stimulating Canada’s maritime supply chain.

The Polar Max, says Davie, sets a new standard for Canadian shipbuilding procurement – a smart approach that will deliver major economic and strategic benefits to Quebec and Canada.

Notable features:

• Rapid: Construction will begin just five months after contract signature.
• Disciplined: Fixed-price contract supports on-time delivery and cost benefits.
• Business boost: CAD 200 million will be invested in small and medium-sized Canadian businesses throughout the Polar Max supply chain.
• Quebec jobs: The creation of thousands of high-value jobs in Lévis, across the province and throughout Canada’s marine industry will be accelerated.
• New partners: Le Groupe ALMACO, a Canadian subsidiary of ALMACO Group, will deliver a major outfitting contract for Polar Max. This collaboration will create jobs, industrial capability, and a first-in-Canada modular cabin factory in Québec.
• Knowledge transfer: Workforce and expertise exchange with Helsinki Shipyard will directly strengthen future National Shipbuilding Strategy projects.

“Today’s steel cutting ceremony is more than the start of construction of one very special ship. It’s the start of a new chapter in Canadian Arctic leadership,” said James Davies, CEO of Davie. “The Polar Max represents how trusted allies can collaborate to deliver strategically vital projects when they are needed most. We want to thank the governments of Canada and Quebec for their vision, and we are determined to deliver this ship on time and on budget.”

“Davie is uniquely positioned to deliver a ship as advanced and strategically important as the Polar Max,” said Alex Vicefield, chairman and CEO of Inocea, Davie’s parent group. “With a global footprint, including our soon-to-be upgraded Lévis facility and the renowned Helsinki Shipyard, we combine the world’s best polar shipbuilding expertise with the strength, skill and unique Davie spirit of our Canadian workforce.”