Helsinki Shipyard to build LNG-fueled icebreaker for Nornickel

Finnish shipbuilding firm Helsinki Shipyard is building a new LNG-fueled icebreaker for Russian mining company Nornickel.

Helsinki Shipyard says it has successfully completed purchasing contracts for the main equipment of Nornickel’s icebreaker contracted last year. This also covers model tests in ice and open water for the Aker Arctic’s icebreaker design.

Thus, Nornickel and Helsinki Shipyard are building a new environmentally friendly icebreaker for the mining company’s use. The ship will operate in the Yenisei River basin, Yenisei Bay, and the Kara Sea. It is to secure access to Dudinka seaport both for its own fleet and its partners.

The new icebreaker will have an integrated dual-fuel diesel-electric power plant, which can use both LNG and low-sulfur diesel oil as fuel. The vessel will be for the class notation Icebreaker 8 of the Russian Maritime Register (RMRS). It will be capable of breaking two metres thick snow-covered ice. The ship will also have facilities for transporting cargo and supporting helicopter operations.

The icebreaker’s mission is to make the channel in Yenisei river for Nornickel Arctic Expresses (Arc7) and tow additionally employed fleet of cargo ships Arc5 class with up to 20 000 tons deadweight. The icebreaker’s homeport is going to be Murmansk.

Aker Arctic Technology developed the concept design of the new LNG-fueled icebreaker. The design work is now proceeding according to the planned schedule. Project procurement is also proceeding well. Moreover, purchasing contracts for the main equipment for machinery and propulsion have already been completed.

The construction work will begin in 2022. The shipyard will deliver the vessel for the winter season 2025.

“Receiving new icebreaker by the end of 2024 is very important for Nornickel as it provides additional transportation capacities needed to implement both our strategic investment projects including the city of Norilsk renovation plans. And we are happy to declare that it’s going to be fueled by LNG which goes in line with current environmental trends on decarbonisation and will be a pioneer icebreaker on LNG exploited at Nothern Sea Route, ” said senior vice president of Nornickel Sergey Dubovitskiy.

In addition, the new ship will be the largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker ever built in Finland.