Page 22: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2026)

ICEBREAKERS

ICEBREAKERSICEBREAKERS © ?????? ?????????/AdobeStock

An increasingly important shipbuilding & ship machinery sector

By Philip Lewis, Intelatus n aging ? eet of icebreakers, active in the Arc- Asian and South American nations are expanding icebreaking tic, Antarctic, Baltic and several inland seas ? eets to secure Arctic and Antarctic access, led by Canada, and rivers, coupled with increased interest in Russia and the USA.

Polar research, shipping, asserting and pro-

A Key Market Drivers tecting territorial claims, tourism, and subsea energy and minerals exploitation provides the foundations for The importance of icebreaking construction activity is in- new icebreaker design and build opportunities. creasing due to:

These are the ? ndings of a new report on the global ice- • Climate change is opening Arctic waters.

breaker ? eet by Intelatus Global Partners. • The expansion of Arctic shipping routes,

The comprehensive report analyzes the global icebreaker offering shorter journeys than Panama and Suez market, highlighting increasing geopolitical, scienti? c, and Canal transits.

commercial demand for Polar and sub-Arctic-capable ice- • Rising geopolitical competition in polar regions.

breaking vessels, with Russia and Canada dominating the ac- • Growing scienti? c research in Antarctica and tive year-round Polar icebreaking segment and Finland and the Arctic.

Russia leading the in-service Summer/Autumn Polar and • Increased interest in energy and mineral year-round sub-Arctic/Baltic and inland segment. Western, exploration, such as Russia’s oil & gas exploration 22 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2026

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