World’s First ‘Oblique’ Icebreaker Returns from Sea Trials

The innovative multi-purpose salvage ice class ship ‘Baltika’ returned to the port of Helsinki on 30 March 2014, after the second stage of sea trials.

The equipment adjustment, functional check of main systems and propulsion characteristics have confirmed the readiness of the ship. The ship customer is FGI Directorate of State Contracting Authority for Marine Transport Development Programmes, and the ship operator will be FBI Gosmorspassluzhba of Russia.

Baltika, launched on December 12th 2013, was built by OAO Shipyard Yantar (hull block manufacture, painting) and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Inc. as subcontractor (hull forming, fitting-out, trials).

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

“For Russian Maritime Register of Shipping it is a fair assumption to say that the ships built now are capable of solving tasks that were unthinkable and unfeasible as far as two decades back. In this sense, the design of the Baltika, an icebreaker with oblique hull, is virtually unique“, Sergey N. Sedov, Chief Executive Officer of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping noted. “Innovative ship construction to the RS class confirms the fact that, as a classification society, RS is striving to keep in step with time and to facilitate the realisation of global goals for enhancing maritime safety and marine environment protection, bearing in mind the state of the art in technological development“, he added.

Baltika, to be used in icebreaking, rescue and oil combatting operations in the Gulf of Finland, is the first ship ever to break ice sideways. In oblique mode the vessel is able to generate 50 m wide channel in 0.6 m thick ice. Bow and stern first the vessel can operate in 1.0 m thick ice.

[mappress]

rs-class, April 3, 2014