Inocean to Design Icebreakers for Polish Rivers

Inocean’s office in Poland won the assignment to design an icebreaker which is likely to be the first of a new series of vessels. These vessels are projected to replace the current fleet of river icebreakers consisting of many 30- to 40-year-old units.

As designer Inocean will take responsibility for all phases of the job, from conceptualisation, basic design and detail design to supervision of construction at the shipyard. This first icebreaker is scheduled to begin operating when the icy season starts in February 2014.

Heavy responsibility

“It’s an important and challenging project because of the considerable responsibility we’re shouldering,” says Marcin Rejman, General Manager of Inocean Poland. “The project will engage people in all the disciplines covered by our office and I’m certain it will give us a major boost as designers. The border between Poland and Germany goes right down the Oder. Our goal is of course to design an icebreaker that is superior and more effective than any operating on the German side,” he says with a smile.

Limited space

Senior Marine Engineer Pawel Michalski asserts that for designers the vessel’s dimensions pose the most significant challenges. A lot of equipment needs to be placed within the 34-metre hull. Shallow waters necessitate light weight and the vessel must keep a low profile to pass beneath the many bridges crossing the Oder and Vistula Rivers. It must also be capable of crushing ice up to 50 cm thick at a speed of five kilometres per hour. In this connection, Inocean will prepare data for model testing in Hamburg and Gdansk.

The ice season on the Oder and Vistula is normally limited to February and the following two or three months. So for year-round use this vessel will be equipped for other operations as well, primarily fire fighting, rescue operations and towing jobs.

Main Particulars

Length over all: 34,00 m

Length between PP: 30,50 m

Height to MD: 2,50 m

Breadth over all: 8,20 m

Draught: 1,60 m

Frame spacing: 0,5 m

Crew: 5

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Source: inocean, May 15, 2012