Finland’s Aker Arctic Unveils Next-Generation Medium-Class Icebreaker as Global Demand Heats Up

Finnish icebreaker engineering firm Aker Arctic on Monday released the first renderings of its new B+ class vessel for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, unveiling a next-generation design as global demand for ice-capable ships accelerates.

The vessel, part of Finland’s long-term renewal of its state-owned icebreaking fleet, is designed to meet tougher environmental standards while ensuring reliable year-round access to Baltic Sea ports. 

The new B+ type promises enhanced efficiency, lower emissions, and greater icebreaking power compared to existing medium-class models. It will be significantly cheaper to operate than the largest A-class icebreakers.

Aker Arctic, the world’s leading developers of icebreaking technology, has previously contributed designs for vessels operating all around the world. The company said the medium-class icebreaker design is tailored to Finland’s operational needs, but could also serve as a model for international customers eyeing the rapidly changing Arctic environment. 

Both the U.S. and Canada are in the process of expanding their icebreaker fleet, with design and contract decisions by the U.S. Coast Guard on the horizon.

Aker recently joined a trilateral consortium aimed at delivering the next generation of U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers. The partnership includes American Bollinger Shipyards, Finnish Rauma Shipyards, and Canadian Seaspan Shipyards, with Aker spearheading design and engineering work. 

Another group led by Canada’s builder Davie and its Helsinki Shipyard is similarly vying to secure future contracts. Davie recently announced plans for a $1 billion “icebreaker factory” in Texas. 

As for Aker, after concluding the initial design process on the B+ class icebreaker before summer, the firm has now moved on to phase two; model tests in both open water and ice.

“Even in this day and age, model-scale testing in an ice tank is still the most reliable method to find out how a new icebreaker — particularly one not quite like anything that has been built before — will perform once it is commissioned,” says Aker’s chief designer Tuomas Romu.

While one can use established criteria to calculate straight-line performance, more complex maneuvers such a breaking out from an ice channel or freeing a beset vessel are much more challenging.

“That’s when you call in the test engineers with their little red ships,” remarks Romu.

Aker’s ice basin is directly integrated with the company’s design office fostering close cooperation between naval architects and test engineers. “We have a fairly low threshold to use our in-house ice model testing laboratory to try out new ideas and novel icebreaker designs,” confirms Romu.

In the case of the new B+ icebreaker for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency some of the testing was open to visitors – a rare occurrence as most projects are confidential – who could observe first-hand how the model breaks ice and chunks move along the side of the vessel.

With the new medium-class icebreaker Aker has set itself a high goal of designing a “no compromise vessel.” The idea is not to design the biggest or most powerful icebreaker that can tackle even the worst ice conditions the Baltic Sea can throw at it. But instead a versatile and cost-efficient vessel that can adapt to changing sea ice conditions over its 50-year design life.

“That’s why we are paying more attention to seakeeping performance and ability to operate in heavily-deformed icepack rather than maximizing the level ice thickness the new icebreaker can break without stopping,” explains Romu.

Aker aims to finalize the tender material before the end of the year with shipyard selection and procurement scheduled for 2026. Keeping with Finland’s rapid pace when it comes to building icebreakers, the B+ class icebreaker is expected to be delivered in late 2029.

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