Design and Production Engineering contract signed with Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. for the Joint Support Ship project

The Government of Canada is delivering on its commitment to renew the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) fleet and providing our uniformed men and women with the equipment they need to do their important work.  The Joint Support Ship (JSS) project is part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy’s (NSS) non-combat vessels package, with an estimated project budget of $2.3 billion.

Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. is completing the Initial Design Review of the proven, off-the-shelf ship design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada.   In December 2015, Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. was awarded the Long Lead Items contract to engage suppliers and select the equipment, including the propulsion systems and generators, needed to finalize the design and to build the JSS.

As a next step to bring the design to production readiness, the JSS Design & Production Engineering (D&PE) contract was awarded to Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. This component is valued at approximately $230 million. The signing of the JSS D&PE contract will incorporate state-of-the-art Canadian capabilities and ensure the continued development of the design, technical and procurement specifications associated with the JSS project. This includes the development and finalization of the ship build plan (including the test, trial, and build strategy), the required manufacturing content, and the finalization of the 3-D product model. At the conclusion of the JSS D&PE contract, the JSS design will be ready for production and construction.

The JSS project will build two ships with an option for a third one. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in 2021. The second ship is expected to be delivered in 2022.

The two JSSs will be the long-term replacement of the more than forty-year-old Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels, Protecteur-class, which have been taken out of service.  Both ships will provide core replenishment, limited sea-lift capabilities and support for operations ashore.  Construction of the JSS by Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. is expected to begin in 2018 after the completion of the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV) and the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV).

As part of the NSS’s non-combat package, Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. has committed to investing 0.5% of the value of all resulting contracts into the Canadian marine sector in the areas of Human Resources, Supply Chain Development, and Technology Development.

In 2016 alone, Seaspan awarded NSS contracts worth close to $200 million to 383 Canadian companies, 94% of which were small and medium sized enterprises.

The Government is committed to an open, fair and transparent procurement process, while obtaining the best possible value for Canadian taxpayers.