Genoa Design International of Newfoundland and Labrador and Seaspan Shipyards of British Columbia, signed a contract this morning in St. John’s related to the construction of Canada’s new Polar Icebreaker. The deal will see Genoa provide 3D modeling and design technology services for the program, resulting in up to 100 employees working on the project for the next several years. 

Genoa Design has played a critical role on several other vessels already built or underway at Seaspan Shipyards under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Genoa’s expertise in digital ship models along with their experience as a global leader in cold-ocean technology and ice-prone environment projects makes for an ideal coast-to-coast partnership for the Icebreaker.

As the future flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet, the Polar Icebreaker will weigh in at close to 28,000 tonnes, will be 158 metres long and be able to accommodate up to 100 personnel. Innovations in design and construction will ensure the yet to be named vessel will have the capability to operate further north and for longer periods than any current icebreaker in the country’s fleet. Production of the ship is expected to begin in late 2024.

The Polar Icebreaker will be an incredibly complex ship, designed to operate in the Arctic’s ice-covered waters and will play a critical role in enabling the Canadian Coast Guard to transit and protect more than 162,000 km of Arctic coastline. The capabilities will help sustain a year-round presence in Canada’s North in support of Indigenous Peoples and other northern communities, Arctic sovereignty, high-Arctic science (including climate change research), and the ability to respond to major maritime emergencies including search and rescue.