First 'oblique' icebreaker completed at Arctech

The ARC 100 vessel, named Baltika, is the world’s first asymmetric-hulled icebreaker, 76.4m in length and 20.5 m in breadth. Designed to operate sideways in order to clear a channel through the ice 50 m wide, with the help of three 360-degrees rotating propulsors, the vessel can operate in 0.6 m thick ice in oblique mode or 1 m thick ice bow or stern-first mode. The three main diesel generator sets develop a total power of 9 MW, and the total propulsion power is 7.5 MW.

Baltika will be operated by the FGI Gosmorspassluzhba (Russian Marine Emergency Rescue Service) on icebreaking, rescue and oil spill prevention operations in the Gulf of Finland.

“This project is very important for Russian Federation. The building of this vessel and its future operation in the Gulf of Finland is a significant step in the co-operation between Finland and Russia”, comments the head of the Federal Agency of Sea and River Transport “Rosmorrechflot”, Alexander Davydenko.

The Finnish Arctech was recently bought out by Russian state firm United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) as part of an ongoing campaign by the country to increase its contingent in the Arctic.