The first of two newbuild vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) to be built at Irving Shipbuilding’s Halifax Shipyard will feature seawater-lubricated bearings from Canadian company Thordon Bearings.
The vessels are modified versions of the Harry DeWolf-class of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), which are being built at Halifax Shipyard for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), all of which feature Thordon’s seawater-lubricated bearings. Three of these RCN ice-capable AOPS vessels have already been delivered, with the fourth in the series, the future HMCS William Hall, currently fitting out.
The first of the CCG vessels is scheduled for delivery in 2027, and will be equipped with a pair of seawater-lubricated Compac propeller shaft bearings machined to fit 480mm diameter shafts. Thordon’s Water Quality Package and SXL rudder bearings are included in the scope of supply.
Scott Groves, Thordon Bearings VP Sales, said: “The performance and reliability of the Thordon arrangement aboard the first three RCN AOPS – HMCS Harry DeWolf, HMCS Margaret Brooke, and HMCS Max Bernays, which are now operational – together with a long history supplying navies and coast guards around the world, is the primary reason Thordon is continually trusted to deliver critical components to Canadian built combatants and patrol vessels.”
Irving Shipbuilding says it has opted for Thordon Bearings because, with environmental considerations in shipbuilding becoming more important, it is joining other partners in helping to ensure that the power produced by Canada’s new AOPS vessels is efficient, reliable, and environmentally safe. The yard said that, under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, domestic companies like Thordon Bearings are given the opportunity to launch new technologies, continue to grow, and find future export opportunities.
Jeffrey Butt, Thordon Business Development Manager Navy and Coast Guard, said: “We are delighted that Irving Shipbuilding continues to invest in Canada’s homegrown products for its supply chain. The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) introduced in 2010, to which we both remain committed, not only strengthens Canada’s shipbuilding industry but it helps promote Canada’s marine engineering and manufacturing might around the world, which is a huge benefit to the Canadian economy in the long term. As Irving says on its website: ‘When Irving Shipbuilding builds in Canada, it invests in Canada’.”
In addition to its involvement in the AOPS program, Thordon Bearings has played a key role in the success of the RCN Halifax-class frigates which the Type 26 design will replace. The company is the preferred supplier of seawater-lubricated bearings and seals to over 50 navies and coast guards, including the CCG, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Brazilian Navy, German Navy, and the United Arab Emirates Coast Guard.
