Construction begins on Canadian Coast Guard diesel-electric hybrid vessel as the final Bay Class search and rescue vessel is completed

October 29, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Coast Guard

Today, the Canadian Coast Guard announced the official start of construction of its Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel at Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Québec, and celebrated the completion of Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Baie de Gaspé, the 10th and final new search and rescue lifeboat built by the shipyard.

The Canadian Coast Guard plays a vital role in keeping our waters safe and supporting ocean science. To continue providing vital support to Canadians, the Government of Canada is investing in the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet.

The Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel is the Canadian Coast Guard’s first-ever electric hybrid vessel and represents a significant step towards building an eco-friendlier fleet. The new vessel will emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions, representing the Canadian Coast Guard’s ongoing commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint. The vessel is designed to operate on a fuel blend including up to 20% biodiesel.

The completion of the CCGS Baie de Gaspé marks an important milestone under the National Shipbuilding Strategy as it is the 20th and final vessel in the Bay Class lifeboat series built by Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products & Shipbuilding Ltd. These new search and rescue lifeboats will contribute to keeping our waters safe for mariners and supporting environmental response operations to reduce the impacts of marine pollution in our waters.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy is a long-term, multi-billion-dollar program aimed at renewing the fleets of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy to provide Canada’s maritime agencies with the modern ships they need to fulfill their missions, while revitalizing Canada’s marine industry, creating middle-class jobs and maximizing economic benefits across the country.

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Quotes

"Today marks two important milestones for the Canadian Coast Guard. We are proud to invest in Canadian shipyards and workers, which is, in turn, an investment in the fleet of the future. We will continue to deliver on our commitment to provide our personnel with state-of-the-art vessels and equipment."

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence

“Today’s milestones in Gaspé show how our government is investing in Canadian shipbuilding, supporting local industry and creating good, skilled jobs for workers in communities across the country. We’re also building the next generation of ships that will drive innovation, support science and ensure Canada has a modern, sustainable and mission-ready fleet. These projects strengthen Canadian industry, support workers in Gaspé and beyond, and secure Canada’s future on the water.”

The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement

“We thank our partners at Chantier Naval Forillon for their excellent work on the construction of the 10 Bay-class search and rescue lifeboats. As part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, this project is supporting many good-paying jobs and helping to grow Canada’s marine industry. We’re building on that success with today’s steel cutting for the next-generation research vessel that will strengthen the Coast Guard’s operational capabilities.”

The Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)

"What we are celebrating today is much more than the end of one contract or the beginning of another: it is a testament to our ability to deliver complex projects, to build strong partnerships, and to actively contribute to Canada’s maritime security and energy transition."

Jean-David Samuel, President and CEO of Chantier Naval Forillon.

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Quick facts

The Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel design includes power and energy-reducing features such as a hybrid propulsion system with a battery bank and energy-efficient electrical and deck equipment systems. The vessel will emit fewer greenhouse gasses than a non-hybrid one.

The Research Vessel can accommodate a crew of five Canadian Coast Guard members and six scientists. The vessel will be equipped with:

a dry lab;

a wet lab;

deck mounted equipment to support fisheries and oceanographic work, and;

integrated electronic systems to support Canadian Coast Guard and Science.

• The CCGS Baie de Gaspé is the final search and rescue lifeboat to be constructed, from the series of 20 vessels, acquired under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

• Chantier Naval Forillon from Gaspé, Québec, and Hike Metal Products Ltd from Wheatley, Ontario, were awarded contracts totalling $180M for the construction of ten search and rescue lifeboats each.

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Noah Note: Another monumental achievement! A huge congrats to everyone at Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products for the work done on the Bay-class. It might not seem like much, but even the small victories deserve to be celebrated.

Now we can move on to the next CCG vessel, the Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel. Another very interesting vessel.

The NSFRV is the next‐generation small research vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), intended to conduct fisheries science, oceanographic and hydrographic missions in near‐shore, littoral zones, areas inaccessible to larger platforms.

The vessel will measure 32-metre length, 10.5 m beam and a gross displacement of approximately 552.6 tons. It will inclide several different mission spaces including a wet lab, a dry lab, a “mud room” (preparation/storage for sampling gear) and an electronics/mission‐systems room.

The standout technical feature of the NSFRV is its diesel‐electric hybrid propulsion system coupled with a battery energy storage system (BESS). This is the first time such a configuration is to be deployed by CCG in this class. The vessel is capable of operating at low speeds purely on battery power for up to 30–60 minutes per day, and overnight while in harbour (to avoid running generators).

Additional systems targeted for efficiency include variable‐frequency drive (VFD) controlled pumps and fans, long‐life LED lighting, hull‐form optimised for seakeeping and efficiency, and regenerative braking features tied into deck equipment and gyroscopic stabilisers which feed energy back into the battery.

Robert Allan Ltd, Canada’s oldest privately-owned Naval architecture firm is doing the design of these new vessels. They also did the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel and the other Near-Shore Fisheries Research Vessel (Leim, M. Perley, Vladykov)

The Coast Guard is slowly building her future fleet. You love to see it!