Spotted: Canada Receives Its Greenest Naval Ship

M/V Asterix, a former containership, has been retrofitted to a naval vessel at Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec. 

Commissioning of all the Asterix’s onboard systems and sea trials are underway and the ship will be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in early December.

The auxiliary oiler replenishment ship is the very first naval fleet auxiliary vessel to join Green Marine, the largest voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry.

What is more, Asterix is said to be the largest naval vessel ever to be delivered from a Canadian shipyard. Equally suited for combat and humanitarian operations, the vessel is equipped with environmental features.

‘’It’s the greenest naval ship ever built in Canada. It has a double hull and a deck specifically designed for spill prevention, along with the latest innovations such as Terragon’s MAGS system for the safe and green disposal of garbage,’’ Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services, Davie’s sister shipbuilding company, commented.

The Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) is the world’s most compact, efficient and environmentally safe technology for the conversion of a variety of combustible materials into thermal energy for the ship’s use, as explained by Green Marine. The vessel is also ready to receive a ballast water treatment system once International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations come into force.

The Green Marine environmental program offers a roadmap for shipowners, port authorities, terminal operators and shipyard managers to voluntarily reduce their environmental footprint.

“Our Canadian crew is ready to begin operations alongside the Royal Canadian Navy,” Fraser added.

The vessel can accommodate 114 military personnel in addition to the 36 members of its civilian crew.