A decision this week by the federal government in choosing a design for its joint support ships means the $2.6 billion project is on track to be built in North Vancouver.
Brian Carter, president of Seaspans Vancouver Shipyards, said the announcement Sunday means, Were on track for that program. Were right where we need to be.
Ottawa was looking at two possible designs for the joint supply ships the largest of the non-combat vessels that will be built in B.C. including a new design from BMT Fleet Technology and an existing design by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada.
The government announced it has chosen the existing design from ThyssenKrupp used to build ships for the German navy as the best design option. Cost was a major factor in the decision.
The potential for variation in building costs is higher with a new design and lower with a design that is known and has been built before, the government noted in a press statement June 2. A new design was expected to cost about 15 per cent more than going with an existing design, the government stated.
The federal government has budgeted the construction costs of the two navy supply ships on the West Coast at $2.6 billion.
Earlier this year, the governments parliamentary budget officer questioned that figure, warning the project costs could grow to more than $4 billion.
Itll be a while before Vancouver Shipyards starts cutting steel on the first massive joint support ship, which will be built to supply the Canadian navy with fuel, ammunition, spare parts, food and water on extended missions.
The ships will be able to carry two helicopters and containerized payloads, like disaster relief supplies or portable headquarters, according to the government. The ships will also be double-hulled, to meet current environmental standards.
The joint support ships will be the largest ships built in western Canada ever, said Carter.
The next phase in the project will be detailed production design and planning, expected to take about a year and a half, he said.
Ottawa will also have to decide which ship it wants to build first a joint supply ship or a polar icebreaker. Both are complicated, technical projects that will take about a year to complete. The federal government is expected to make that decision by late summer or early fall.
Carter said work on the shipyards modernization project being undertaken to get ready for the large vessel construction is about 25 per cent complete.
The shipyards design team is currently working on the detailed design for the first vessel that will be built as part of Ottawas national shipbuilding strategy an offshore fisheries science vessel. Construction on that ship is expected to start in April of next year.
