This month, the team at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards gathered aboard the future HMCS Protecteur to celebrate the activation of the ship’s generators. The activation, or diesel generator light-off, marks a significant milestone as the ship makes steady progress toward sea trials later this year.
HMCS Protecteur is the first of two Joint Support Ships (JSS) under construction at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Now, all four main diesel generators are online.
The generators are responsible for all power used throughout the ship: communication, navigation, replenishment at sea (RAS) activities and maneuvering — anything that requires electrical power.
The only part of the ship that does not directly require the main diesel generators are the main propulsion engines, though they still require support from the auxiliary systems that are powered by the main diesel generators.
The ship can operate independently of shore power, an autonomous floating city now that the main diesel generators are online.
“Accomplishing the diesel generator light-off is an outstanding achievement,” said Callum Vause, Director, JSS Delivery. “This is a real sign of the momentum beginning to build as we push toward sea trials.”
Completing the diesel generator light-off also requires the installation and commissioning of many of the auxiliary systems that will serve the main propulsion system, such as fuel oil, cooling water and compressed air, as well as the exhaust systems and main switchboards.
With these systems online and tested, the Vancouver Shipyards team is ready to proceed with the main engine light-off later this summer, the next step in preparation for sea trials.