Icebreaker Technology News

Finland is a traditional marine tech hub, with almost 90 company members in the Finnish Maritime Industries association. While the country has a storied maritime history across many sectors, based on geographic locale, it’s Arctic and ice marine technology is second to none, and it’s hoping the U.S. Coast Guard is taking notice.The Finnish maritime industry is hoping to get involved in developing the new icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard polar icebreaker program. Ulla Lainio…

Congress last funded the purchase of polar icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard in the early 1970s. The USCCG Polar Star (WAGB-10) was commissioned in 1976, followed by the USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) in 1977. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to a major engine failure. Polar Star was ‘in commission, special’ status from 2008 through 2012 while undergoing a service life extension. It is currently the only active heavy polar icebreaker in the U.S. fleet. The less capable USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is a medium icebreaker and is equipped to support research missions in polar waters.

ABB said it will modernize 10 out of 14 Medium Icebreakers and High Endurance Multi Task Canadian Coast Guard ships to extend operational life of the vessels by another 20 years. “For more than 75 years ABB has been working at the cutting edge of icebreaker technology and we are delighted to bring this expertise to these Canadian Coast Guard ships,” said Jyri Jusslin, Senior Vice President of ABB Global Marine & Ports Service. Design and work supply on first of the 10 vessels, CCGS Pierre Radisson, is already underway and will be completed in July 2017. From then on the remaining nine vessels will be completed in following order: CCGS Ann Harvey (2018), CCGS Des Groseilliers (2018), CCGS Sir William Alexander (2018), CCGS Martha L.

One of Canada’s most storied naval architecture firms, Robert Allan Ltd., and Canada’s leading arctic and offshore engineering firm, Ausenco Sandwell, formed a joint venture -— Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team -— to bid for the design of  the Canadian Coast Guard’s new flagship icebreaker. “Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team brings together the most experienced, skilled and talented team in the world on ice breaker technology,” says Robert Allan Ltd.’s Executive Chairman, Rob Allan. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the new icebreaker project in August of 2008. The ship, to be named CCGS John G. Diefenbaker, will replace CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. It is expected to take eight to 10 years to design and build at a total cost of $720 million. To create Canada’s Arctic SAGE Team, Robert Allan Ltd.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will present the 2009 Distinguished Achievement Awards to Peter G. Noble for his marine design innovations and to Sakhalin Energy Investment Company for the Sakhalin II Phase 2 Project. The presentation will take place at the annual OTC Awards Luncheon on 5 May at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, USA. The OTC will be held 4-7 May 2009, marking the event's 40th anniversary. Noble, who is ConocoPhillips' chief naval architect, will receive the OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals for his contributions to innovative marine vehicle and floating offshore systems design and engineering…

The Estonian Maritime Administration has awarded a contract to Aker Arctic Technology Inc, Helsinki, Finland, for designing a new multipurpose icebreaker. The value of the agreement is close to EUR 6 million, including the development of the conceptual design, the basic design, preparation of the tender documents needed for a public procurement for building the ship, and construction supervision. "Aker Yards has built more than 60 percent of the icebreakers in the world. This…