ABB Equips Finnish LNG Icebreaker with Electric Power Plant and Propulsion Units

ABB, a global leader in power and automation technology, has secured a new order to supply electric power plant and Azipod propulsion units for one icebreaker vessel built for Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. The competitive bidding was done between several suppliers.

Due for delivery in 2016 and set for operation in the Baltic Sea, the new vessel is featuring dual fuel capability, and as such will be the first icebreaker in operation able to run using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel, cutting both emissions and fuel cost.

In fact, the concept designers at Aker Arctic Technology and ILS were instructed to select the industry’s most advanced technologies to meet icebreaking conditions in the Baltic Sea year-round, and to perform open sea oil spill response and towing duties in summer and winter. Basic design of the vessel is done by Arctech. Once operational, the new vessel is expected to attract worldwide attention to Finnish arctic expertise.

Central to the vessel’s performance expectations will be its three-pod propulsion solution, with a 6MW Azipod unit at the bow and two 6.5MW units at the stern included to optimize efficiency and maneuverability in ice-ridge conditions in particular.

“The safety of seaborne transport in the Baltic Sea is under political and regulatory scrutiny as never before, making FTA’s preference for ABB’s power and propulsion technology based on our proven references,” says Heikki Soljama, head of ABB’s Marine and Cranes business unit.  “Once more, the system’s performance and its ease of maintenance have proved critical factors in the selection process. It is no coincidence that the most forward-looking icebreaker designs invariably feature podded propulsion.”

[mappress]
Press Release, May 12, 2014