Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2025)

In the Shipyard

From Design to Delivery

Ice-Class Tugboat Victoria

A new chapter in Arctic towage begins as Victoria, a newly delivered ice-class tugboat built by Damen Shipyards, has entered service in the Swedish port of Luleå. This is a milestone not only for the port, but also for Steerprop, a provider of propulsion sys- tems for demanding marine environments, as it represents the ? rst deployment of its Steerprop CRP (Contra-Rotating Propeller) azimuth propulsors in the tugboat segment.

Victoria is the ? rst vessel in Damen’s new Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug 3413 ICE design — a class purpose-built for

Arctic operations. Designed to deliver consistent performance in ice-covered waters, the tug is equipped with two Steer- prop SP 60 CRP ECO propulsors, each rated at 3,700 kW and certi? ed to 1A Super ice class. These advanced propulsion units combine pushing and pulling propellers within a single system, delivering superior maneuverability, ice performance, and energy ef? ciency in both harsh ice conditions and open water. Located on the northern Gulf of

Bothnia, the Port of Luleå is Sweden’s “gateway to the Arctic.” With increasing cargo traf? c and oc- casional cruise ship visits, its operational require- ments demand reliable, high-performance tugs ca- pable of year-round service. The new Damen tug meets this challenge, designed to maintain 8 knots through 1.1-meter thick ? oe ice or 3 knots through 1.1 meter ? rst-year level ice.

The ASD Tug 3413 ICE is engineered for ver- satility and performance, achieving a maximum speed of 14.1 knots and a bollard pull of 72.8 tons ahead and 68.5 tons astern. The 34-meter-long, 13-meter-wide tugs were built at Damen’s Song

Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

well-being. Equipped with a large, height-adjustable, centrally

CSOV Delivered to BSOCSOV Delivered to BSO located walk-to-work gangway and elevator tower for person- nel and cargo transfers, the vessel also includes a 3D motion- compensated crane for offshore lifts of up to ? ve tons. Onboard logistics are optimized with spacious storage areas and stepless access to offshore installations.

In addition, Windea Clausius features a height-adjustable boat landing system that allows for safe and stepless transfer of per- sonnel and equipment between the CSOV and smaller crew transfer vessels — an important safety aspect especially while ©Jacob Stærk / Ulstein Group operating within offshore wind farms.

Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) took delivery of its new- Windea Clausius offers up to 90 cabins with windows for est Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), built charterers’ offshore personnel. In total, there are 111 cabins pro- by Ulstein Verft in Norway. The vessel, named Windea Clau- viding comfortable living conditions for up to 132 individuals. sius, was christened on September 4, 2025, and features two With hybrid battery propulsion and methanol fuel readiness, the sterns and azimuth propellers at both fore and aft, ensuring vessel is designed for low-carbon operations and is ideally suit- optimal performance in Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations ed for both operations and maintenance (O&M) and construc- and enhancing fuel ef? ciency. Regardless of whether the ves- tion support roles, particularly in harsh offshore environments.

sel is facing towards or away from the weather, it maintains The newbuilding is named after the German physicist Ru- excellent operability and ? exibility. With the Ulstein’s TWIN dolf Clausius whose work on thermodynamics established

X-STERN design, the ship can minimize motion — critical fundamental principles for understanding energy transforma- for safe gangway operations as well as crew and personnel tions, including wind energy. www.marinelink.com 43

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