British Columbia News

Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Seaspan ULC for the delivery of two ASD Tugs 2813. The signing took place on May 19, at the International Tug and Salvage (ITS) Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden. The ASD Tugs 2813 will be the first Damen Tugs to enter the Seaspan fleet. The new tugs will be operated under the HaiSea Marine partnership, a joint venture between Seaspan and the Haisla Nation, the indigenous people of Kitamaat Village and the surrounding lands and waters of the Kitimat region in British Columbia.The ASD Tug 2813 is designed for combined safety and efficiency.

KONGSBERG, Kongsberg Maritime, and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) announced an investment that will establish the Marine Innovation Simulation Centre of Excellence (MISE) in British Columbia. The initiative is designed to strengthen maritime innovation and skills development, support ongoing research and development, while building on key objectives outlined in Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.The partnership and subsequent investment are enabled through the Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) policy, and in support of KONGSBERG programs in Canada.

The hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius was due to dock in Rotterdam on Monday morning for disinfection, with Dutch authorities preparing quarantine arrangements for the 25 crew members and two medical staff remaining on board.Local authorities said quarantine facilities had been set up for some of the non-Dutch crew, though it was not clear yet if they would stay there for the full recommended 42-day quarantine period.The Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship had been carrying around…

AI-driven maritime safety and security systems specialist Zelim has secured a contract to supply its AI-enabled man-overboard (MOB) detection system to four hybrid-electric ferries being built for Canadian operator BC Ferries.The agreement, signed in February 2026, will see Zelim install its ZOE MOB detection technology on the vessels, with installation expected to begin in 2027. The ferries are scheduled to enter service in 2029 as part of a fleet renewal program.The new vessels will replace four ageing ferries within BC Ferries’ network…

Warship builder TKMS has submitted a non-binding offer along with Norway for a multi-billion-dollar submarine contract from Canada, a company spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.The offer consists of around 1,500 pages and is supported by the governments of both countries.TKMS is one of two companies shortlisted by Canada to supply up to twelve modern submarines. Its competitor is Hanwha Ocean 042660.KS from South Korea.A decision is expected in the middle of the year.TKMS has…

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, an aviation survival technician assigned to Air Station Astoria, Oregon, passed away the evening of March 5, 2026, as a result of critical injuries suffered during the rescue of a distressed mariner from a commercial ship offshore of Oregon on February 27.As part of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Jaggers was injured while responding to a medical emergency aboard the commercial motor vessel Momi Arrow…

Robert Allan Ltd. has announced that Mr. Sajjad Helal Makouei has earned his accreditation as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC).Sajjad is a highly valued member of the Naval Architecture and Advanced Structural Analysis team at Robert Allan Ltd. and has been with the company since 2014. During this time, he has been involved in many aspects of structural design and finite element analysis.Sajjad holds a Master of Naval Architecture…

Robert Allan Ltd. has announced that Ms. Yufei Huang has earned her accreditation as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC).Yufei is a valued member of the Naval Architecture and Weight Engineering team at Robert Allan Ltd. and has been working with the company since 2022, where she has been involved in many aspects of ship design.Yufei holds a Bachelor of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from the University of Strathclyde and a Masters in Naval Architecture from the University of British Columbia.In her spare time…

ABB has secured a contract to supply integrated power, propulsion and control solution for BC Ferries’ four new hybrid-electric major vessels.The New Major Vessels have been designed to minimize emissions and underwater radiated noise (URN), with the goal of contributing to quieter and cleaner operations in the Strait of GeorgiaABB will supply a complete package of power, propulsion and control technology for four new double-ended passenger and car ferries operated by British Columbia Ferry Services (BC Ferries).One of the largest ferry operators in the world…

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an agreement with Alberta's premier on Thursday that rolls back certain climate rules to spur investment in energy production, while encouraging construction of a new oil pipeline to the West Coast.Under the agreement, the federal government will scrap a planned emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and drop rules on clean electricity in exchange for a commitment by Canada's top oil-producing province to strengthen industrial carbon…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released the third edition of the WSC Whale Chart, a global voyage planning aid that maps where slower ship speeds and route changes can help protect whales from ship strikes and reduce underwater noise.The WSC Whale Chart brings together all known mandatory and voluntary ship-strike and underwater noise reduction measures worldwide, including speed restrictions, routing measures and seasonal protection zones. It is the first tool of its kind to make this global information available in a single source…

LNG Canada has started production of liquefied natural gas at the second of its two processing units, known as Train 2, the company said.Both trains at the Shell-led project in Kitimat, British Columbia - each with a capacity of 6.5 million metric tons per annum - are now operational, a spokesperson told Reuters.LNG Canada is the first major LNG export facility in Canada and the first on the west coast of North America that provides direct access to Asia, the world's largest market for the liquid fuel.

The Henriksen HLH 3500 rescue boat and liferaft hook has become a key element of a new fall protection system invented by BC Ferries, the Descent Control System (DCS), which is now installed across its fleet of 38 ships. As launching boats at sea is a high-risk activity, BC Ferries embarked upon a two-year development program for its DCS. Now, whenever BC Ferries rescue crews board their boats, they will each clip onto a webbing line that is controlled by an auto belay unit. As…

Sanmar Shipyards has launched the first of two of the world’s first large purpose-built dual fuel methanol escort tugs it is building for KOTUG Canada. KOTUG Canada is a partnership between KOTUG International B.V. and Canada's Horizon Maritime Inc.Based on the RAsalvor 4400-DFM design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, the two tugs—the first Sanmar has built for KOTUG Canada—will service Canada’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP), escorting tankers from the…

On 27 August, Damen Shipyards Group launched the latest Island Class ferry for Canada’s BC Ferries. The vessel is the second of four Island Class vessels currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. Once operational, the ferries will provide low emission services connecting coastal communities along the coast of British Columbia.When delivered, the ferry will be the eighth Island Class vessel that Damen has built for BC Ferries. The Island Class is based…

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has accepted the sixth and final Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray.The AOPVs are ice-capable patrol ships designed to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic, and to assert and uphold Canadian sovereignty. These versatile ships can operate anywhere in the world, bolstering the RCN’s capability to support international peace and security. In addition to performing operational missions and tasks…

Ocean Group, a leader in the maritime industry in Quebec, announced a change in its shareholding structure, marking a milestone in its development. The transition is being carried out with the continued involvement of Mr. Gordon Bain, the company's founder, and through a management buyout process led by Mr.J acques Tanguay, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. This change will allow Ocean Group to welcome new strategic partners while strengthening its Quebec and Canadian identity.Mr.

LNG Canada has loaded the first cargo of liquefied natural gas that is now destined for global markets, marking the start of operations at Canada’s first large-scale LNG export facility.Located in Kitimat, British Columbia, the LNG Canada facility will export LNG from two processing units or trains with total capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).Shell Canada Energy, an affiliate of Shell, has the largest working interest in the LNG Canada joint venture, holding 40%, with other partners including Petronas…

The Shell-led LNG Canada facility has produced its first LNG for export in Kitimat, British Columbia, a spokesperson for the project confirmed on Sunday.The milestone comes in advance of the facility loading its first LNG export cargo, which LNG Canada said it remains on track to do by the middle of this year.The facility is the first large-scale Canadian LNG project to begin production and also the first major LNG facility in North America with direct access to the Pacific coast, significantly reducing sail time to Asian markets when compared to U.S.

Construction is underway of six more emissions-free fully electric ElectRA Series tugboats at Sanmar’s shipyards in Türkiye.Part of a project unveiled in 2021, a total of eight ElectRA tugs have been delivered so far and are now operating in Europe and America.Among those under construction is an ElectRA 2500SX for international operator Svitzer, which is due to be delivered in the second half of 2025, after which it will operate in the waters between Sweden and Denmark.Each ElectRA tug eliminates approximately 1,700 tons of CO2 per annum compared to modern diesel-powered alternatives.

In a stride for the Canadian clean energy transition, two leaders in British Columbia’s ocean innovation sector have announced a joint initiative that forges brand new pathways for the development and commercialization of marine renewable energy and decarbonization technologies in British Columbia.The BC Marine Energy and Decarbonization Hub is a core initiative of COAST, Pacific Canada’s hub for the sustainable blue economy, delivered in partnership with the University of Victoria.

AAM Towage and Caterpillar Marine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to evaluate and implement alternative power solutions to diesel, including electrification and alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol, for the tug fleet.Both companies are already working on a dual-fuel engine—the Cat® 3500E—which will use methanol and is expected to begin testing this year.SAAM Towage is active in towage and marine services at more than 90 ports in 13 countries in the Americas.

BRIX Marine launched a Bridge Cat 49 (4519- DCT), built for Bridgemans Services Group. The personnel transfer vessel, Bridge Cat 49 (BC49), accommodates up to 45 passengers plus three crew and is built to meet Transport Canada passenger vessel requirements for use in British Columbia, Canada.The BC49 is constructed with a 45-foot aluminum hull and an 18.5-ft. beam, powered by twin Cummins QSL9 405HP diesel inboard engines paired with ZF marine transmissions for smooth operation. The vessel has a 500-gallon fuel capacity and a lightship weight of approximately 43,000 lbs.