The Canadian Public Services and Procurement agency and Griffon Hoverwork didn’t provide details of the contract yet.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) currently operates a fleet of four Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs), primarily supporting CCG’s Search and Rescue (SAR), icebreaking and marine navigation services mandate in the Central and Western Regions of Canada. Due to their aluminum build and icebreaking core duty in harsh environments, the ACVs have a relatively short in-service life expectancy and are ready to be replaced.
The CCG has a requirement for naval architecture/engineering (“design”) services to;
- Update the current ACV design with fully modernized systems (e.g. lift and bow thruster system, electrical system, controls and communications);
- Conduct feasibility studies, focussing on the investigation of alternative power plant designs (i.e. hybrid internal combustion engine (ICE)/electric, and hydrogen on-board storage and fuel cell power plant technologies) aimed to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions of the CCG’s next generation of ACVs to address the Canadian fleet decarbonization policy.
The results of these studies will be integrated into a final ACV design/construction package.
In order to conduct the required design work and feasibility studies, it is necessary to have complete access to the full design package of the ACV design, which is only possible through ownership of – or access to – the Intellectual Property (IP) of the chosen ACV design.
In 2022 and early 2023, Canada conducted a series of Requests for Information (RFIs) and one-on-one meetings with industry to investigate and identify alternative ACV designs capable of meeting CCG’s High Level Mandatory Requirements (ref. Annex A of this ACAN). Based on industry feedback obtained through its engagement activities, Canada believes that Griffon Hoverwork Ltd. (“GHL”) is the only supplier with a mature and proven ACV design (i.e. the GHWAP1-88 series). GHL also retains exclusive ownership of, and rights to use, the IP for its GHWAP1-88 series of ACV platforms. It is therefore believed that GHL is the only known supplier capable of performing the design work and feasibility studies on the only known compatible ACV design.
