Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Inc., which specializes in arctic shipbuilding technology and other offshore and special vessels, says it has delivered the liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel icebreaker Polaris to the Finnish transport agency.
According to Arctech, the Finnish transport agency then handed the vessel over to Arctia Icebreaking Oy, a company designed to provide icebreaking and specialized multipurpose vessel services in polar areas.
The prototype vessel, which was built at Helsinki Shipyard, is designed to serve for at least 50 years in icebreaking, oil recovery and sea rescue operations. The company notes that prior to this launch, the last time that a Finnish icebreaker of a similar size was completed was back in 1994.
Arctech lists the following specifications:
- Length – 110 meters;
- Breadth – 24.4 meters;
- Ice class – PC4;
- Diesel-electric propulsion;
- Main engines – Wärtsilä 2x 6000 kW, 2x 4500 kW, 1x 1280 kW, Dual fuel; and
- LNG tanks – 2 x 400 m3.
Icebreaker Polaris is able to use either LNG or low sulphur diesel oil as fuel and complies with the international IMO Tier III emission standards and special requirement for sulphur emissions in the Baltic Sea. Further, the vessel is equipped with three Azipod propulsion units rotating 360 degrees.
“Icebreaker Polaris is an extremely versatile vessel [concerning] her technical properties. She can operate in all ice conditions in the Baltic Sea and use, in all circumstances, either gas or diesel oil as fuel. We are proud we had this opportunity to build the vessel that will serve the Finnish winter navigation in coming decades,” commented the managing director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, Esko Mustamäki.
