NRC — Ice Tank - 90 m Research Facility

Designing vessels, offshore structures, or marine technologies for Arctic and northern waters comes with unique risks that are difficult to address through simulations alone. For organizations working in ice-prone environments, access to controlled, real-world testing can be critical to validating performance and reducing costly design uncertainty. The NRC — Ice Tank – 90 m Research Facility offers that capability through a specialized, fee‑for‑service testing environment designed to replicate some of the harshest marine ice conditions in the world.

Operated by the National Research Council of Canada in St. John’s, this large-scale indoor ice tank allows businesses, researchers, and developers across Canada to test ship models and offshore structures in a wide range of realistic ice scenarios. The facility can recreate everything from level and drifting pack ice to ridges, rubble, and multi‑year ice, all under tightly controlled temperatures well below freezing. With its long and wide tank design, organizations can conduct extended test runs, manoeuvring studies, and repeated trials to gather high‑quality data on resistance, propulsion, ice loads, and structural behaviour.

Rather than providing a fixed grant amount, this program offers project-based, non-repayable support through access to world-class infrastructure and expert NRC researchers. For companies developing or refining technologies for northern and Arctic operations, learning how this facility can be applied to your project is a valuable next step.