Up to 120 nautical miles offshore of Canada’s borders, you’ll find the bobbing navigation lights of Canada’s maritime security program’s crown jewels—its fleet of Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels (MSPV). The nine-vessel MSPV fleet, powered by mtu 12V 4000 M93L engines, patrols Canada’s maritime border, interdicting national threats and fishery regulation infringements in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and on Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.
The vessels enhance Canada’s national security by responding to potential threats and addressing water enforcement requirements by seizing, recovering, storing and transporting illegal fishing gear and contraband, and discouraging smuggling and fish poaching. The MSPV is the primary platform of the joint Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Marine Security Enforcement Team, and is the first of several major projects to be undertaken as part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s long-term fleet renewal initiative.
Niche power solution
The MSPV project is mtu’s breakthrough engine project for the Canadian Coast Guard. At the project’s nascence in summer 2009, mtu marine engines were chosen to fit the niche performance, weight and physical size requirements shortly after the contract was awarded to Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
“The Canadian Coast Guard originally considered a different engine manufacturer to power the MSPV fleet, but quickly recognized the project required a lighter engine with a different weight-to-power ratio,” said Louis Blouin, general manager at Wajax Power Systems. “In the end, it was mtu’s advanced technology offerings that won the bid. The weight-to-power factor of the mtu 12V 4000 M93L and its ability to fit in a very confined space was much more suitable for the project’s design.”
Engineered for a low operating noise level and designed to offer superior performance, mtu’s Series 4000 marine engines are perfectly suited for the MSPV fleet’s demanding job description. The Series 4000’s advanced technology ensures security on the water with exceptional fuel efficiency, long service life and unrivaled power density compared to other engines in its class.Rigorous federal testing
Each vessel in the fleet is named in honor of the Canadian Coast Guard’s personnel of commemorative vessels. Since the MSPV is responsible for Canada’s national maritime security, it is subject to rigorous government performance regulations, and limited the entire installation to 5,000 horsepower.
“The project required a power solution that met significant weight restrictions, precise power requirements, and could achieve a federal performance certification. Since it was for the Coast Guard, the project was required to obtain a certification that the engines can perform with a full load—25 knots for 16 hours—to test engine durability, fuel consumption and performance in extreme conditions,” said Jozsef G. Misek, mtu sales specialist for government and naval business.Coast-to-coast support
In fall 2010, the MSPV project commenced with a steel cutting ceremony to honor the beginning of construction of the first vessel, the CCGS Private Robertson V.C. As of October 2014, the ninth and final ship, CCGS Captain Goddard M.S.M., had been delivered. The MSPV fleet is scattered across Canada’s maritime boundaries —from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the Great Lakes to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Wajax Power Systems, the project’s mtu distributor, offers the Coast Guard coast-to-coast maintenance support thanks to their vast Canadian presence, which includes strategic partnerships with Cullen, mtu’s West Coast Canadian distributor.
“Thanks to our partnership we’re able to offer top-of-the-line maintenance support from Newfoundland to the Yukon Territory,” said Blouin.
The pairing of advanced technology from mtu and a robust support network from Wajax Power Systems have made a strong introduction to the Canadian Coast Guard’s shipyard, and solidified a sturdy relationship for future marine sales.