Page 56: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2016)

Finland Breaks the Ice on LNG

Photo: Arctech Helsinki Shipyard

Due for delivery in Q2 2016, Finland’s new icebreaker Polaris is the world’s ? rst to feature dual fuel liqui? ed natural gas (LNG) and diesel propulsion, earning the icebreaking vessel designations as the Finland’s most powerful and the world’s greenest.

By Eric Haun o stranger to icy conditions, In April 2013, the Finnish government

Finalnd has become a world awarded a contract to Aker Arctic to de- leader in Arctic maritime tech- sign the vessel in cooperation with ILS

Arctech delivered

Nnologies, as a nation that must Oy and help prepare the tender and assist icebreaker rely on icebreaking vessels to help its in negotiations with potential builders.

Murmansk to the commercial ports and harbors remain Following a tender process, Arctech Hel-

Russian Ministry operational year round. sinki Shipyard in Finland was chosen to of Transport in

Seeking a new state-of-the-art ice- build the vessel, though the initial con-

December 2015. breaker to bolster these efforts, the Finn- tract was cancelled due to certain guar- ish Transport Agency outlined its re- antee issues. Arctech won the second quirements for a new icebreaker in early bid, however, and a ? nal contract was 2013, demanding a vessel that could signed in February 2014. First steel was break Baltic Sea ice under all conditions. cut in November 2014, and a keel laying

As a kicker, the new vessel would also ceremony was held in March 2015. need oil spill response and emergency Named Polaris in December 2015, the towing capability at open sea. The gov- vessel was ? oated out from the builder’s ernment procured $140m for a vessel covered drydock and moved to the out- that had to be at least as powerful as the ? tting quay in January 2016. Though Po- 16.2 MW Uhro-class icebreakers, and laris was initially scheduled for a Janu- capable of meeting a number of other ary 2016 delivery, sanctions issued have demanding design criteria, including: forced some delays with the Russian- • assistance capacity at open sea, owned yard. Delivery is now expected in • average assistance speed of 9-11 Q2 2016, after which the Finnish Gov- knots in all ice conditions in the ernment will sell Polaris to Arctia Ice- Baltic Sea, breaking Oy, a subsidiary of state-owned • 24-26 meters width of broken Arctia Shipping, which manages all ice- ice channel’ breaking operations in Finland.

• good towing features, including Currently undergoing ? nal out? tting a maximum draft of 8 meters to and commissioning at Arctech Helsinki enable operations in all main Shipyard, Polaris is built to last, designed

Photo: Arctech Helsinki Shipyard channels; and suf? cient mass to operate on the Baltic Sea for the next and maneuverability for 50 years. A product of Finnish Arctic and operations in dif? cult ice conditions. maritime technological knowhow, Po- 56 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2016

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