“Sideways” Icebreaker Launched at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard

An illustration of the Baltika, which uses a patented “oblique” design to increase its virtual beam in order to create channels in the ice for ships with wider beams. Image (c) Arctech Helsinki Shipyard

An innovative and somewhat strange new icebreaking multipurpose emergency and rescue vessel has been launched at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard.

The new vessel, named “Baltika”, features an asymmetric hull, with a patented oblique design and three 360 degree rotating propulsors, which allow the vessel to operate efficiently sideways, astern and ahead. In oblique mode the vessel will be able to generate a 50m wide channel in 0.6 m thick ice. Bow and stern first the vessel can operate in 1.0 m thick ice.

The Baltika will be used in icebreaking, rescue and oil response and recovery operations in the Gulf of Finland and is being built for the Russian Federal Agency of Sea and River Transport.

The design of the vessel is based on ARC 100 concept, which has been developed by Aker Arctic Technology.

SEE ALSO: Aker Arctic’s ARC100HD – A Powerful, and Unusual Icebreaker

“It has been great to build the first-ever sideways operating icegoing vessel. I believe this vessel will be the benchmark when developing and building innovative Arctic vessels. The icebreaking multipurpose emergency and rescue vessel is technically advanced and building it has required a special knowledge”, comments the Managing Director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, Esko Mustamäki.

The vessel features an advanced oil recovery system suitable which, similar to its sideways icebreaking advantages, also uses the full length of its hull to funnel oil to the on board collector tanks for separation. This also allows for operation in ice and heavy seas, Arctech says.

The vessel measures 76.4 m in length and 20.5 m in breadth. The three main diesel generator sets have the total power of 9 MW and the total propulsion power is 7.5 MW.

”This project is very important for Russian Federation. The building of this vessel and its future operation in the Gulf of Finland is a significant step in the co-operation between Finland and Russia”, comments the Head of the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport “Rosmorrechflot”, Alexander Davydenko.

The vessel is being built in co-operation with Kaliningrad based Shipyard Yantar JSC, which has produced the blocks of the vessel. The hull assembly started in June 2013 at Helsinki Shipyard. In addition to hull assembly, design, outfitting and commissioning is done by Arctech. The vessel will be delivered to the customer in spring 2014.

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