Davie Signs Agreement with Canadian Government to Construct Advanced Heavy Icebreaker

Chantier Davie Canada and owner of Helsinki Shipyard, has signed a landmark agreement with the Canadian government to construct a state-of-the-art heavy icebreaker. The new vessel will be based on Davie’s advanced Polar Max icebreaker design, developed by Helsinki Shipyard and utilising the proven Aker ARC 148 hull form from Aker Arctic.

Polar Max is the first newbuild project at the Helsinki Shipyard under Davie’s ownership, and it will be carried out in collaboration between Finnish and Canadian maritime industry experts. The work will begin in Helsinki and be completed at Davie’s shipyard in Canada. The finished vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the Canadian government by 2030. The unique expertise of the Helsinki Shipyard will play a significant role in delivering the vessel on such a fast schedule.

The construction of the icebreaker is expected to increase the direct workforce at the Helsinki Shipyard by around 500 employees, with many hundreds more employed throughout the Finnish maritime industry cluster.

The icebreaker order is part of Canada’s national shipbuilding program. This new order is the second heavy icebreaker project in this program. The project is also aligned with the principles of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (“ICE Pact”) between Finland, the United States and Canada, which originated from President Trump’s 2020 discussions with the Finland government. The ICE Pact supports the West’s urgent need to build advanced icebreaker fleets to counter the expansion of adversaries in the polar regions.

“Today marks an important milestone in our commitment to strengthening our country’s maritime capabilities,” said the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Lieutenant of Quebec. “The contract awarded to Chantier Davie Canada Inc. to build a new polar icebreaker highlights our commitment to ensuring safe and efficient navigation in the Arctic regions. This state-of-the-art vessel will not only strengthen our icebreaker fleet, but will also support essential scientific research and environmental protection efforts, as well as ensuring national security in the Arctic. We are proud to take this step forward in strengthening our maritime infrastructure to protect Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic.”

“When we acquired Helsinki Shipyard, we pledged to rebuild this historic business. The Polar Max project is evidence that we are delivering on our promise. We can’t wait to begin this new chapter in Helsinki Shipyard’s story. The Canadian government deserves immense credit for partnering with Davie on this groundbreaking procurement. In such a volatile world, we can and must forge shipbuilding collaborations with trusted allies like Finland to defend our shared interests. If not now, then when?” said James Davies, President & CEO, Davie Shipbuilding.

“This announcement comes at an opportune time as Davie celebrates its 200th anniversary. The construction of the polar icebreaker will create opportunities for our employees and put us on track to create thousands of jobs much more quickly. Our Quebec suppliers will be quickly mobilized to help us deliver this vessel in record time. There is a geopolitical imperative to protect our interests and we thank the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec for showing vision and recognizing the need to act now,” commented Alex Vicefield, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Inocea, Davie’s parent company.

“The Polar Max project is an important milestone in expanding production and design in Helsinki. The project is an excellent example of Finland’s leading Arctic shipbuilding expertise, which is in significant demand internationally,” said Kim Salmi, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard.

Polar Max will be 22,800 tonnes vessel with a length of 138,5 meters. Additionally, it functions as a research vessel, capable of performing oil spill response operations and emergency towing year-round. Davie continues to promote similar projects internationally and aims to accelerate the development of Finland’s maritime industry ecosystem and the creation of Finnish maritime innovations.