Russia’s Oblique Icebreaker “Baltika” Tested in Arctic Ice

Baltika, the primary ship ever constructed with an uneven hull type, demonstrated what she was designed to do whereas conducting full scale ice trials just lately.

The ship was designed by Aker Arctic as an icebreaking escort vessel with a hull that enables it to interrupt ice whereas working forward, astern or within the above case, sideways. The latter operation is utilized to open a channel for vessels which can be a lot wider than the precise beam of the comparatively small icebreaker.

The vessel was launched lat yr and departed from Murmansk on 20 March 2015 to conduct full scale ice trials with the Aker Arctic group on board. The crew sailed across the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya and throughout the Kara Sea to the Gulf of Ob, near the Sabetta terminal space the place the exams have been carried out.

Aker Arctic says the testing program consisted of efficiency exams in two distinct ice thicknesses in forward and astern instructions in addition to within the indirect mode. Various operational exams have been additionally carried out so as to decide the maneuverability and operational functionality of the vessel. The thickness and energy of the ice was measured within the areas the place exams have been carried out. An automated measurement system was set as much as file ice masses on the ship’s hull via the entire three-week voyage which concluded in Murmansk on Friday, 10 April.

“Although the ice conditions in the area were on the upper end of the vessel’s designed icebreaking capability and the ice in the Gulf of Ob was considerably stronger than typical sea ice, Baltika exceeded expectations and the required performance targets were passed with a clear margin,” says Aker Arctic in an announcement on their web site.

“The vessel could break 1.2-metre level ice in continuous motion when proceeding bow first and could achieve a speed exceeding 3 knots in astern direction. The oblique mode, which had never been tested before in real life, also worked extremely well and the vessel fulfilled all the design requirements. During operational tests, Baltika also demonstrated excellent maneuverability and rubble clearing capability in the port of Sabetta as well as ability to penetrate heavy compressive ice ridges in the Kara Sea without ramming.”

According to Project Manager Mika Hovilainen who was on board the vessel through the ice trials, “Baltika’s voyage to the Gulf of Ob proves the exceptional operational capability of the oblique icebreaker concept in very difficult ice conditions. The vessel could operate in ice conditions that exceeded the design criteria used as the basis of the vessel concept. Baltika could carry out the same operations as conventional icebreakers with just half of the propulsion power as well as perform maneuvers which are not possible for any other vessel currently in service.”

Vessel particulars:

Builder: Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in co-operation with Shipyard Yantar JSC
Design: Aker ARC 100
Owner: Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport of Russia (Rosmorrechflot)
Operator: Russian Marine Emergency Rescue Service (FGI Gosmorspassluzhba)
Length 76.4 m
Breadth total 20.5 m
Draught 6.3 m
Power: Diesel-electric 9MW through (3) Wärtsilä 9L26 genset
Propulsion: (3) 2.5 MW Steerprop azimuth thrusters
Dynamic positioning: Navis Engineering
Speed 14 knots
Speed in flat ice 1.0 m thick 3.0 knots
Crew 24
Special personnel 12
Sea endurance 20 days (24 individuals)
Class: Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, Icebreaker6