The design and technical features of Finland’s newest icebreaker Polaris were presented on Monday 6th of June in Helsinki as part of the CIMAC World Congress, Wärtsilä said in a press release.
IB Polaris is the most environmentally friendly diesel-electric icebreaker ever built. It uses both low sulphur diesel and LNG as fuel, which significantly reduces its emissions. The special hull form and propulsion arrangement will minimize ice resistance and maximize the icebreaking capacity of the vessel.
The main purpose of IB Polaris is icebreaking and assisting of other vessels in ice conditions in the Baltic Sea. IB Polaris is also able to perform oil spill response operations, emergency towing and rescue operations at open sea all year round.
Finland’s newest icebreaker Polaris will enter into service at a historical time. Next year Finland celebrates its 100 years as an independent nation. The theme for Finland’s big year, “Together”, is also an appropriate term to describe the design and building process of the new icebreaker. IB Polaris is the result of combined efforts by Finns and world-famous Finnish knowhow in designing, building and operating icebreakers.
Polaris will be powered by Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel engines capable of operating on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low sulphur diesel fuel. Wärtsilä’s industry leading track record in dual-fuel engine technology and the impressive power output per cylinder of the Wärtsilä engines was a crucial factor in the award of the contract. Wärtsilä’s scope of supply consists of one 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF, two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF, and two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF engine. Additionally Wärtsilä has 5 years maintenance agreement for all engines & generators including spare parts, remote online support, CBM monitoring & training services.
The new icebreaker’s design and technical features were presented to media attending the CIMAC World Congress in Helsinki by experts from ABB, Arctech, the Finnish Transport Agency, Aker Arctic, Arctia, Wärtsilä, ILS and Lamor.
Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2015, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5 billion with approximately 18,800 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.