Passion News 1 2018 Sivut - Aker Arcticworking in close technical co-operation for nearly two years....

Aker Arctic Technology Inc Newsletter March 2018

1 / 2018 / 15

ArcticPassionNews

First luxurycebreaking cruiseivesselPage 3

New Chinesepolar esearch vesselr

nder constructionuPage 7

Arctic LNG hipmentsscommence0

Petri joined Aker Arctic as the new directorof sales and marketing last year. He has astrong background in the Finnish pulp andpaper industry, where he worked for morethan twenty years of his career. Aboutseven years ago, he transferred to themarine business and was vice president ofsales and marketing and later presidentand CEO of Steerprop Ltd. Before Petrijoined Aker Arctic he was the director of

the Thruster & PCS product line atWärtsilä Marine Solutions. Petri says he isvery pleased with his new work andcolleagues. "The atmosphere at Aker Arcticwith all our specialists is very innovative,open and respectful. We trust andappreciate each other."

Petri's home is in Turku, about 170 kmfrom the Vuosaari office. "I jump on thetrain early every Monday morning and stayin a flat close to work during the week,"Petri says. "I often spend the weekends inmy cottage in the Turku archipelago withmy wife. Our two children are finalizingtheir studies, so they don't come homevery often."

Petri enjoys all kinds of outdoor activitiesand is an eager golfer when he has thetime.

Aker Arctic Technology Inc Newsletter

Olli Kokko hasjoined Aker Arcticas developmentengineer in theelectronics & ITteam. Olligraduated in 2017with a master'sdegree in

mechanical engineering andmechatronics from the Aalto UniversitySchool of Engineering. In his master'sthesis he studied autonomous navigationin model scale.

Announcements

March 2018

Rob Hindley hasjoined Aker Arcticas team leader,for machineryand structures.Previously Robwas a globalprincipalspecialist in arctictechnology at

Lloyd's Register and represented theInternational Association ofClassification Societies (IACS) at theIMO during the development of thePolar Code. Rob has worked inCanada, the UK, the Middle East, andin South Korea in roles involving shipsurveying, classification ruledevelopment and technicalconsultancy. He holds a master'sdegree in naval architecture fromNewcastle University.

From the ManagingDirector

Page 3 First luxuryicebreaking cruisevessel

Page 6 Expert in adventureexpeditions

Page 7 New Chinese polarresearch vesselunder construction

Page 10 Arctic LNGshipmentscommence

Page 12 Detachable icebreaking bowfor Lake Saimaa

Page 14 Testing smart vessels

Page 1 Our man in Moscow6

Page 17 Safe winter trafficon the Baltic Sea

Page 18 News in brief

Page 20 Tech day for staffMeet us here

Meet Petri Tolonen

2

Activity in the global shipping andshipbuilding market continues to be at alow ebb, as it also is in offshore activityrelated to the oil and gas industry.However, some new and remarkablethings are happening with ships intendedfor use in icy conditions.The announcement in December byFrench cruise operator PONANT thatthey are planning to build an icebreakingcruise vessel introduced a completelynew vessel type to the world. At the sametime, we revealed that we had beenworking in close technical co-operation fornearly two years. Together with the client,our naval architects and engineersdeveloped this unique vessel design.For us, of course, developing icebreakerscapable of reaching the North Pole isnothing new. But the combination of anextremely heavy icebreaker and a cruisevessel is a new one.

The technical details are explained in thismagazine, but the most important thing tonote is the introduction of a completelynew type of ship and operation in the higharctic combined with the icebreakingtechnology. At the same time, this vesselraises interesting questions about the“exploration cruise” market, how popular itwill be among clients and tourists, andhow boldly others will react with their ownplans. A number of vessels currentlyunder construction with lower ice classesare being marketed as polar cruisevessels, and this will bring significantlymore capacity into this segment of thecruise market.

While you are reading this magazine,LNG shipments are going at full pacefrom the Sabetta terminal. The operationto bring these first-ever Arctic LNGcarriers on line has been a success.Not many major LNG production projectshave started on time and able to delivertheir planned capacity of LNG to themarket. So far, over a million tonnes ofLNG has been loaded from Sabetta onthe first four arctic LNG carriers. This alsodemonstrates their capability to breakthrough the ice and bring results forYamal LNG. Hopefully, this success willencourage the industry to make newinvestments, and then the passionateicebreaking engineers will once againhave challenges to solve.

We can expect new types of activities inpolar shipping, the cruise industry andLNG deliveries, and there will also bemore ships in these challengingoperations. The Polar Code has beenintroduced in order to improve safety inshipping, but another important actionregarding safety issues is co-operationbetween national coast guardorganisations. Together, they a lookingrefor best practices and studying the bestways to improve preparedness inresponse to potential risks in arcticmarine operations.I hope you enjoy the articles, and that youare looking forward with great interest tothe next projectsand developments.

Reko-AnttiSuojanen

Managing Director

Dear Reader,In this issue

3


The intends to takePONANT Icebreaker

passengers to previously never exploredpolar destinations, such as the truegeographic North Pole, the Weddell Sea,the Ross Sea and Peter I Island. This willbe possible due to her PC 2 ice classand her excellent ice breakingcapabilities. "There are not manyicebreakers in the world which canmanage the same," says MaximilianVocke who is chief designer and theproject manager, from Aker Arctic.

Before starting to design the vessel, AkerArctic gathered and analysed ice dataover a period of ten years to establishhow harsh and demanding thecircumstances for the cruise ship would

be. "The cruises will go to the Arcticregion in the summer, when the ice isleast thick and at its softest, and toAntarctica when the southernhemisphere has its summer.Nevertheless, these are not easy regionsfor any vessel," Vocke adds.

Unique vesselThe hull is a modern PC 2 icebreakinghull design, which combines smoothicebreaking ahead in up to 2.5 m thickmulti-year ice, and astern in severe iceconditions using a double acting shipprinciple (Aker Arctic DAS™) and a twinazimuthing propulsor arrangement. Thevessel's performance is comparable toexisting polar icebreakers but with lower

ice resistance ensuring better fueleconomy. This concept is the firstcommercial application of its kind forboth efficient icebreaking and openwater operation in high arctic conditions.

The recently introduced Polar Code hasmany requirements regarding passengerand environmental safety, and thisvessel fulfils them all and more. "Otherexpedition cruise vessels for polarcruises currently under construction arePC 6 or 7 ice class," Vocke says. "PC 2is a completely different story and opensa lot of new possibilities for anexpedition vessel.”

One of the rule requirements forpassenger vessels is that a vessel mustbe able to return safely on its own evenwhen damaged. For the definedoperational areas of the PONANT

Icebreaker this was discussed at anearly stage of the concept developmentwith both the selected classificationsociety and the Flag Administration. Avessel must also carry equipment forfive days of evacuation off the vessel,i.e. tents, warm clothes and food.

Passenger safety has been one of thecrucial points in the design of thisvessel. "The choice of a high ice class,taking all the requirements of the PolarCode into account, the 'safe return toport'-concept and winterization aspects,i.e. how all the machines and equipmentcan function in a cold climate, are all

The world's firstluxury icebreakingcruise vesselOver the past two years Aker Arctic has designed the first PolarClass (PC) 2 icebreaking cruise ship in close cooperation withStirling Design International and the luxury expedition cruisecompany PONANT. The construction of the vessel will beginlater this year at the Norwegian shipyard VARD, which haspreviously built icebreaking vessels based on Aker Arcticdesigns.

4


important with passenger safety in mind,"Vocke emphasizes.

Hybrid fuel optionsPONANT is particularly committed topreserving the environment andprotecting the poles. For this reason,highly advanced choices have beenmade. This will be the first hybrid cruiseship powered by liquefied natural gas(LNG) and electric batteries in additionto oil fuel. The advantage of LNG is thatthe emissions are considerably lowerthan for oil fuel. LNG-fuel produces nosulphur oxide (SO ) and very lowx

nitrogen oxide (NO ) and carbon dioxidex

(CO ) emissions. The cruise ship2

complies with future IMO (InternationalMaritime Organisation) and ECA(Emission Control Areas) regulations andfulfils the so called "Clean Ship"requirements with advanced wastewatertreatment, energy optimisation, a heatrecovery system and zero emissions inits electric hybrid mode.

During the concept development phaseAker Arctic was responsible foreverything from the main deckdownwards, as well as the machineryand design of the steel hull. StirlingDesign International was responsible forthe upper decks and interior design,while PONANT provided the guidelinesfor the development and ensured thatthe overall concept met their company'srequirements. The steel hull will beconstructed at VARD in Romania andthen towed to Norway for finalizing work,interiors and finishing.

"VARD will perform the basicdesign and we will take care ofice related aspects, such asthe hull form, steelclassification drawings, modeltests and propulsion design,"Vocke adds.

Aker Arctic analysed ice data for a period of ten years beforebeginning to design the vessel to ensure that she would have therequired features to manage the harsh conditions in the polarregions.

The vessel will bring passengers to previously unreachable areas.

Aker Arctic Technology Inc Newsletter

5

March 2018

Technical detailsLength 150 mBeam 28 mDraught 10 mPower plant Dual-fuel engines

and electricbatteries

Propulsion 2 x 17 MWABB Azipod

Ice class Polar Class 2

Classification society Bureau VeritasFlag France

Staterooms 135Passengers 270Crew members 187Passenger facilities Two panoramic

restaurantsGrill restaurantSpa & Wellnesssalon

Zodiac boats 16Helicopters 2

PONANT already has severalexpedition cruise vessels, but none ofthem can break ice as this vessel can."A cruise vessel like this one has neverbeen built before," says Vocke.

This is a completely new, innovativevessel concept and therefore, afterdetailed calculations and carefulevaluations, Aker Arctic decided torevise the initial design slightly so thatthe vessel can function efficiently in allthe demanding areas it will sail in.

"It is a new step in the cruise industry,"Vocke emphasises. "Technically thehull is optimised for both icebreakingand open water. All the machinery andequipment chosen is highly advancedand environmentally friendly. At thesame time the vessel will be thoroughlyluxurious.”

“In addition to the exciting areas thepassengers will be visiting, they willhave the chance to experienceicebreaking. It will be a uniqueexperience not many have had before."

Vocke also wants to thank allthe partners in this project.“The cooperation between allthe partners has beenextremely positive. We haveall had the same interest inadvancing this unique projectand to make it come true."

The PONANT icebreaker is a newstep in the cruise industry.

Passengers will have the chance to experience excitingareas. Photograph N. Dubreuil.

6


In 2001, Nicolas Dubreuil had a terribleaccident in North Greenland when hewas leading a ski expedition. He fellthrough the ice and in freezingtemperatures nearly lost his fingers."Luckily, with my body being used to thecold, I managed to preserve them in theend," Dubreuil says.

"A wise person once said: 'You have twolives and the second only starts whenthe first one ends'."

At the time Dubreuil was a teacher ofcomputer science at university. "For me,the accident was a wake-up call andchanged everything. I wanted to dedicatemy life to expeditions and adventures, soI quit my teaching job and bought ahouse in the most remote settlement inGreenland."

He continued as a guide and started towork with PONANT as an expeditionleader.

“This taught me how useful a cruise ship isas a tool to bring people to remote areas,people who would otherwise not have achance of experiencing them, for instancemy parents."

"I also learnt that PONANT is a very specialcompany. At PONANT we care about thepassengers, the environment and how wedo things. And we are prepared to go towild places."

Today Dubreuil is the director of all theexpedition cruises. His job is not only toplan routes and destinations, but also torecruit and train naturalists who are onboard the ship to teach passengers aboutthe polar areas."We take this matter very seriously andplan in detail how to minimize the impacton the environment. We also offer space forscientists on board so that they can havethe opportunity to perform experiments,measure the ice and find out how topreserve the polar regions," he says.

Expert inadventureexpeditionsDirector of Expeditions NicolasDubreuil, at PONANT, has beenguiding trips to the polar regionsfor 27 years. He has a proventrack record in organising skiing,kayaking, and diving trips, as wellas all kinds of sportive adventureexpeditions. Now he is busyplanning the itineraries for thenew icebreaking cruise vessel.

Nicolas Dubreuil personally visits all the

remote places he intends to include

when he is creating an itinerary for

expedition cruises.

Photographs N. Dubreuil.

Building a storyDubreuil personally does the scoutingwhen he is creating an itinerary in order tolocate interesting things, such as wildlife,geology, people and settlements.

"It is like creating a movie, I need to findexciting moments and build a story for ourpassengers. To experience ice for real isfantastic, but there is so much more youcan see and do during a two or three-weekcruise," Dubreuil adds.

"The new icebreaker will give us completelynew possibilities. It is like a brand-newspace ship. We can actually bring people toplaces I have had to ski for one month tosee in the past. The passengers candisembark in locations where fewer peoplehave been than have walked on the moon."

Apart from the extraordinary experience,the new vessel is dedicated to educatingpassengers about the polar regions, theeco-systems that exists there andsustainability. The last pristine places onearth are extremely vulnerable and must betreated carefully to preserve them."As an example, we will not break ice toreach all the areas we intend to visitbecause both settlements and animalsneed uninterrupted ice cover, but insteadwe will use other means of transport toreach the most remote places. InGreenland the local residents will meet uswith dog-sledges and in Antarctica we willbe able to use our two helicopters,snowmobiles, skis or Zodiac boats todisembark and watch emperor penguins,for example, as we don't want to disturbthem," Dubreuil says.

The first cruise is intended to depart aroundmid-2021 and will follow the east coast ofGreenland. There will be plenty of activitiesand Dubreuil is working with the localsettlements in the planning."Just imagine the scene, the brand-newluxury cruise vessel arriving through thecoastal ice to the fast ice where a group ofresidents with dog-sledges come to meetour passengers. It will be a once in alifetime experience."

7


New Chinese polar researchvessel under constructionAker Arctic completed thebasic design of a highlyadvanced icebreakingresearch vessel for the PolarResearch Institute of Chinain the autumn 2017. Thesteel fabrication for the hullis now ongoing at JiangnanShipyard in Shanghai andthe PC 3 ice class vessel isplanned for delivery in 2019.

The icebreaking research vessel orderedby the Polar Research Institute of Chinawill be used for research and logisticstasks for the polar oceans, mainly inAntarctica, where China has fourpermanent research stations. It will bepossible to transport cargo and scientistsindependently to and from the polarregions, as well as perform advancedscientific research on-board the ship,which is equipped with all the mainscientific equipment needed. All thetechnical solutions chosen for both thevessel itself, and for research purposes,represent the most modern available onthe market.

Design processIn 2012 Aker Arctic was selected for theconceptual and basic design of a newChinese polar research vessel."After the concept design we carried out asubstantial number of model tests both inopen water and in ice to verify theperformance of the vessel," says KariLaukia, head of ship design at AkerArctic. "Then followed a three year period-of feasibility studies together with the shipowner to ensure that the vessel wasdesigned to meet its mission goals andthe solutions chosen were adequate andthe best available."

The basic design was completed in 2017and the classification societies, ChinaClassification Society and Lloyd'sRegister of Shipping, have both verifiedthe design. Construction is now wellunderway with the steel hull being weldedat Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China."Although Aker Arctic has successfullyfinalised the basic design, we are alsosupporting the owner in areas which aretypically important for an icebreaker'soperation and reliability by participating intests such as inclining tests, open water

sea trials and other checks before shipdelivery," Laukia says.

The vessel, named , will beXue Long 2

launched in 2018. According to the plans,it will be ready and delivered in summer2019. Full-scale tests are planned to takeplace the following winter.

Advanced solutions"While planning the vessel, the aim wasto create a hull with good icebreakingperformance and open watercharacteristics because the vessel will betravelling for long distances in open wateron its way to Antarctica," Laukia explains.The PC 3 ice class vessel will be able tobreak ice which is 1.5 metres thick withsnow cover of 20 cm. This can beperformed bow first, which is the primaryoperation mode. In its astern mode theship can move in difficult ice conditionseffectively, but the ship is not designed tomove astern continuously. A considerableamount of CFD (Computational FluidDynamics) calculations together withmodel testing were also made to take

hydrodynamics into account. Theship's icebreaking performance wasverified by conducting numerous icemodel tests.

The vessel will be fitted with diesel-electric machinery and two azimuthingpropulsors. For manoeuvring andmaintaining position, two bow tunnelthrusters will be provided. The powergeneration station consists of fourmain diesel generator sets. Thepropulsion power is 2 x 7.5 MW and inthe aft ship two skegs will protect thepropulsion from multi-year ice floes.The vessel can maintain an economictransit speed of 12 knots in openwater using one engine and 15 knotswith two engines, and in difficult iceconditions all four engines can beused.

A DP-2 dynamic positioning systemwas chosen to assure bothredundancy in general sea conditionsand good performance in badSouthern Ocean sea conditions.

The steel hull is being welded atJiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.

8


Double classification ensures that thevessel complies with the rules fromboth China Classification Society andLloyd's Register of Shipping.

"A special feature for theship is the use of an LNGdriven generating set,which ensures clean airoperation when needed.This posed somechallenges in taking theimpact of hazardous areasinto consideration in thedesign," Laukia says.

"Another demanding designchallenge was to combine the PolarCode requirements for ice damageand special purpose ship damagestability requirements."

Scientific equipmentThe main task of the vessel is to carryout research operations in the polarregions. It is therefore fitted with highlyadvanced scientific equipment andinstruments for marine geological andgeophysical research, as well as marinebiological and ecological research inaddition to climate change monitoringand marine and seismic surveys.Laboratory space is abundant and thereare several scientific winches.

"It is an extremely advanced researchship in addition to having icebreakingcapabilities," emphasises Laukia.

When operating in icy conditions,researchers can make use of a moonpool to extend their research work. Aspecial feature of the ship is a box keelbelow the ship. The location of the boxkeel was designed with the aim ofachieving a minimal disturbance of the

water flow while performing scientifictasks and for the minimum degree of icecontact during ice operation. This hasrequired a significant amount ofcalculations, simulations and modeltesting.

Additionally, there are large cargospaces in the bow, spacious cargo fueltanks and a cargo crane for efficientcargo handling. A helicopter landing padand a hangar accommodating twohelicopters are located on deck 7.

The design has taken efficient internallogistics into account on board the vesselto ensure that all logistic operations arecarried out easily and effectively.

Underwater noise, as well as inboardnoise prevention have been significantdesign drivers. This has resulted in adouble resilient mounting for the mainengines and raising the diesel generator

Winch room arrangement

Aft deck arrangement

Moon pool arrangement

Rapp Marine

Rapp MarineRapp Marine

9


Power plant 2 x Wärtsilä 16V32 2 x Wärtsilä 12V32,

Propulsion Two azimuthing propulsors (2 x 7.5 MW)

Personnel 90

Technical detailsLength 122.5 m

Beam 22.3 m

Draught 7.85 m

sets one deck higher than usual, forinstance. Special noise insulationarrangements, as well as extensivevibration analyses were carried out inorder to achieve low vibration andnoise levels.

Expert in research icebreakers"It has been an interesting long-termproject to design and develop thisadvanced polar icebreaking researchvessel with our Chinese customer,"Laukia says. "We have both learnt alot from each other. In this process wehave learnt about research in polarwaters and our customer hasdiscovered how to utilise advancedice technology in fulfilling thedemands of a research vessel forpolar regions."

China currently has one researchicebreaker, .Xue Long

"Once this new advanced polar researchvessel is delivered in 2019, China will bein an excellent position to service thestations in Antarctica as well as performscientific research," Laukia adds.

In addition to the new, icebreakingresearch vessel, Aker Arctic has had anextensive role in designing the CanadianCoast Guard polar icebreaker CCGSJohn G. Diefenbaker, which also willhave research missions once it isconstructed. The company also workedon the basic design of a French polarlogistics vessel which wasL'Astrolabe

delivered last year. In the winter of 2015,Aker Arctic further performed full-scaletrials of the American research vesselSikuliaq in the Bering Sea whileconducting ice operational training of theofficers. Aker Arctic was part of thedesign group for the vessel long before itwas built.

”We took part in the designteam supporting GlostenDesign with ice issues andconfirmed the ice performancewith model tests before theSikuliaq was built," ays AkersArctic CEO Reko-AnttiSuojanen.For the United States Coast Guardmedium icebreaker USCGC ,Healy

delivered in 1999, Aker Arctic expertsprovided extensive conceptualdevelopment and design support,including hull form development andpropulsion line engineering.

"Through our extensive experience wehave gained essential competencieswhich can benefit new polar researchvessel projects," Laukia emphasizes.

10


Arctic LNG shipments commence

December 8th, 2017 was animportant date for the long-term development of liquefiednatural gas (LNG) shipmentsfrom the Arctic to the market.The LNG plant on the YamalPeninsula above the ArcticCircle was officiallyinaugurated and the start ofLNG cargo loading wascelebrated.

The destinations of the first LNG shipments have been traced. The lines arewhiteroutes by Arctic LNGCs, the ones show ransshipments.yellow t So far all cargoeshave been sold on spot market.the

Russia's President Vladimir Putin andother prominent guests watched as thefirst cargo lot from the Yamal LNG plantwas loaded onto the icebreaking LNGcarrier , ownedChristophe de Margerie

by the Russian shipping companySovcomflot, one of the world's leadersspecialising in the transportation of crudeoil, petroleum products, and liquefiedgas.

Challenging areaThe joint venture between Russiannatural gas producer Novatek (50.1%),France's Total (20%), China's CNPC(20%) and the Silk Road Fund (9.9%) isexpected to cost US$ 27 Billion. Novatekstarted the building project in 2012.When completed, the project willcomprise three production units with atotal annual capacity of 16.5 million tonsof LNG and up to 1.2 million tons of gascondensate from the resources of theSouth Tambey Field. Products will beshipped to Europe and Asia. The firstLNG train, with an initial capacity of 5.5million tons a year, is now operationaland the other two will be ready in 2018and 2019 respectively.

Apart from the LNG plant, the projectincludes Sabetta port with two berths forlarge tankers and other port facilities forvarious supplies and a supporting fleet.Worth mentioning are the vast dredgingjobs done for the port and the deepnavigable fairways in Ob Bay which isvery shallow by nature. The newinternational Sabetta airport serves thecommunity and a 282 MW power plant isexpected to become operational in 2018.

The primary export markets for LNG willbe both the East and the West. To Chinaand other Asian markets LNG will beshipped via the Northern Sea Routeduring the summer season. Yamal LNGaims to tap into northwest Siberia'senormous natural gas reserves,accounting for 84% of Russia's totalnatural gas, and, once fully operationalwill double Russia's share in the growingglobal LNG market.

Sourc

e: w

ww

.kre

mlin

.ru

Russia's President Vladimir Putin andother prominent guests watched as thefirst cargo lot from the Yamal LNG plantwas loaded on the icebreaking LNGcarrier Christophe de Margerie.

11


Three companies have partnered up withNovatek for this project, Linde(Germany), Technip (France) andNipiGas (Russia). Construction isplanned to start 2019 with the firstproduction train ready by around 2023.It is notable for th project that the costseare expected to be significantly lower,i.e. about one third of the costs for YamalLNG. This can be achieved by using

local resources to a larger extent than forthe Yamal LNG project, reducingtransportation and ground preparationcosts.

Novatek has signed an agreement withLinde for the license concerning thenatural gas liquefaction technology forthe Arctic LNG 2 project. Capitalizing onthe competencies gained from the Yamal

LNG-project, the partners have chosennew techni for the project.quesThe production facility will be gravitybased, with the plant sitting on a trio ofplatforms, which will be held in place onthe seabed.

"Three aspects of the new project areimportant: the location of the facility, thuscreating an LNG hub with a commonport and cargo fleet; the building andtesting of the gravity based structuresand the topsides at the Kola yards inMurmansk; and the targeted destinationof the trans-shipment port in Kamchatka,closer to major end users," says RoumenTzvetanov, head of businessdevelopment for oil and gas at AkerArctic.

Novatek has announced plans to further expand its LNGproduction on the Gydan peninsula. Located on the other side ofOb from their recently operational Yamal project LNG facilityBayat Sabetta, the Gydan peninsula has substantial natural gasreserves to provide for another, larger LNG project. The initialplans are to build gravity-based production facilities for a total of18 million cubic metres of LNG production.

Novatek Arctic LNG 2 project status

While the Yamal peninsula has hugehydrocarbon reserves, it is an isolatedregion north of the Arctic Circle, about2,500 kilometres from Moscow and iscovered by ice for most of the year, withtemperatures dipping as low as minus 50degrees Celsius.

Successful long-term developmentAker Arctic's CEO Reko-Antti Suojanenalso braved the polar night and freezingcold to be present for the historicaloccasion."It is a great pleasure to see our long-term development with Yamal LNG cometrue," he says.

From 2010 onwards, Aker Arctic hassupported the development of the projectby designing the Arctic LNG carriers,port fleet and related shippinginfrastructure for transporting natural gasfrom Sabetta."Finnish engineers have been involved indeveloping transportation solutions forLNG since the 1970s," Suojanen adds."After our invention of the double actingship principle and the growing interest inLNG transport from the Arctic, thedevelopment of an Arctic LNG tankerbegan in 2004." (Read about thedevelopment of Arctic LNG carriers inthe September 2017 issue of ArcticPassion News.)

Fifteen independent tankersThe LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie

is the first in a series of 15 icebreakingLNG carriers ordered for the Yamal LNGproject to transport LNG in thechallenging ice conditions of the KaraSea and Gulf of Ob. The vessels willopen a new class of YamalMax ships.The 300-metre-long lead ship has acapacity of 172,600 m³, and is managedby a crew of 29. Furthermore, the vesselis capable of sailing independentlythrough ice of up to 2.1 metres thick.Possessing the Arc7 ice class, thehighest amongst existing merchantvessels, can sailChristophe de Margerie

westward unassisted from Yamal year-round and eastward to the Asia Pacificdestinations along the Northern SeaRoute for six months during the summerseason (from July to December).Previously, the summer navigationwindow in the eastern region of theNorthern Sea Route was limited to only 4months with icebreaker support.

In August 2017, Christophe de Margerie

demonstrated her capability when sheshipped a load of LNG withouticebreaker assistance along the NorthernSea Route (NSR) from Melkøya, inArctic Norway, to South Korea. Thetransit shipment along the mostdemanding NSR part was made in a

Five completedarctic LNG tankersChristophede Margerie,Sovcomflot

Boris Vilkitsky, Dynagas

Fedor Litke, Dynagas

Eduard Toll, Teekay

Vladimir Rusanov, MOL

The LNG tanker Christophede Margerie is the first in aseries of 15 icebreaking LNGcarriers ordered for the YamalLNG project to transport LNGin the challenging iceconditions of the Kara Seaand the Gulf of Ob.

days, whereas the whole loaded voyagetook less than 18 days.

Since the first loading of LNG from Sabettain December, there have been hecticactivities in the new Arctic port. The firstfour completed tankers, Christophe de

Margerie Boris Vilkitsky Fedor Litke, , and

Eduard Toll have all visited the Sabettaport to load LNG cargoes.frequently Thefifth ship is in the process of finalcommissioning in Russian waters.

At the inauguration ceremony, Chairman &CEO Leonid Mikhelson of Novatek saidthat the Yamal LNG plant would startregular deliveries under major long-termcontracts in April 2018. According to him,96% of the LNG produced at the plant hasbeen contracted. Before April and later inthe year, spot deliveries to differentlocations will continue. The destinations ofthe first LNG shipments have been traced.See details on page 10.

The port of Sabetta is working well and thetankers are loading and discharging theircargoes according to plan. Constructionwork on the site is continuing to completethe second and third train on schedulewhile the remaining ten tankers are atvarious building stages at the DaewooShipbuilding & Marine Engineering(DSME) shipyard in South Korea.

12

the bow will be pushed by the tugboatCalypso, which is owned and operated byFinnish shipowner Alfons Håkans Ltd.Calypso usually assists vessels in sea-ports in Southern Finland and is suitablefor winter use with Finnish-Swedish iceclass 1A.

Previous winters, the icebreaking vesselProtector with a non-motorized loose bowand a few other tugs have kept waterways in the lake and the canal open, butthese vessels are getting old andinadequate and capacity needs to berenewed. Before , icebreakerProtector


Self-propelled detachableicebreaking bow for Lake Saimaa

The Finnish Transport Agency has together with ILS Oydeveloped a new and innovative self-propelled detachableicebreaking bow to improve and ensure icebreaking capacity infreshwater Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa Canal. This bow willbe pushed by the tugboat , which usually assistsCalypsovessels in sea-ports in Southern Finland.

The innovative detachableicebreaking bow will be fitted on thetugboat Calypso.

The new detachable ice bow will be 25.3 metres long and have a beam of 12.6metres. A special feature is that the bow will have its own propulsion system, whichwill improve its efficiency and manoeuvrability.

Lake Saimaa is the biggest lake in Finlandand the fourth largest freshwater lake inEurope. The Saimaa Canal, whichopened in 1856, is a transportation canalthat connects Lake Saimaa to the Gulf ofFinland near Vyborg in Russia. The canalhas been of great importance for industryin Eastern Finland, and is still today themost economical route for timber andother export goods.

During the winter the lake and canalfreeze, therefore icebreakers arenecessary to keep the waterways openand extend the season in support of theexport industry. Products for domestic usecan be transported by road or by rail, butit is more beneficial and ecological totransport export cargo along waterways.

Fitted on existing tugIn order to improve and secureicebreaking capacity in Lake Saimaa andthe Saimaa Canal, the Finnish TransportAgency and Finnish company ILS Oyhave under the WINMOS II projecttogether developed an innovative self-propelled detachable icebreaking bow.Based on a procured ten years contract,

Picture: ILS Ship Design & Engineering

Picture: ILS Ship Design & Engineering

13


Arppe performed the main task, but waslater sold to become an icebreaker onthe Caspian Sea.

Acquiring a completely new icebreaker isa huge investment. Traffic on the lakeand the canal are still limited andseasonal, so currently it does not makesense to buy a new icebreaker.

The Finnish Transport Agency isresponsible for winter navigation inFinland and is trying this innovativeoption as part of the EU-fundedWINMOS II-project: "Winter NavigationMotorways of the Sea II". The WINMOSII is a continuation to the WINMOS I-project, in which Aker Arctic alsoparticipated. The aim of the WINMOS II-project is to improve winter navigation forthe future by developing existing vesselsand finding new options. The FinnishTransport Agency acts as a coordinatorin the project.

Own propulsion systemThe new detachable icebreaking bow willbe 25.3 metres long and have a beam of12.6 metres. One special feature is thatthe bow will have its own propulsionsystem, which will improve its efficiencyand manoeuvrability. Two shaft-lines willbe installed on both sides of the bow,each having 600 kW power.

The tugboat outfitted withCalypso whenthe new icebreaking bow will break awider channel than before, which willenhance the transportation of cargoalong the Saimaa waterway.

While ILS has developed the icebreakingbow, Aker Arctic has performed themodel tests for the design.

Turku Repair Yard in Naantali has beenselected to construct the bow andadditionally make alterations to Calypso

in order to connect two units seamlessly.The bow is to be delivered to the ownersby the end of 2018. Full- scale ice trialsare planned for next winter.

The aim of all involved participants is togather as much information andexperience as possible to establishwhether this removable ice-bow conceptwill be possible to enlarge and use onother, bigger vessels and in other seaareas. In some areas it could be veryuseful to have this kind of multipurposevessel, which could break ice in winterand perform other duties in summer.

New propellers for winterAn additional feature will be to equipCalypso with new propellers for theicebreaking season. The existing nozzlesare susceptible to clogging duringicebreaking operations, but this isavoided with the new nozzle-freepropellers. For summer, the originalpropellers will be re-installed.This is something quite new, as thevessel has to be dry-docked in order tochange the propellers.

The Finnish Transport Agency isinvestigating the possibility to enlarge thelocks on Saimaa Canal, as this would allowlarger vessels on the canal. Larger lockswould also benefit existing vessel sizesduring winter faring.

During winter the lake and canal freeze and an icebreaker isnecessary to keep the waterways open and extend the season insupport of the export industry.

14


Model testing ofautonomous shipsRemotely controlled andautonomous ships represent afundamental change in shippingover the next decades and aredriving the digitaltransformation in the sector.Aker Arctic is currentlydeveloping the in-house testingfacility to enable tests withautonomous vessels.

Multiple instruments are used in supportof operating and manoeuvring modernships and all current vessels have acaptain and crew who are responsible forhandling the ship and ensuring thatnothing goes wrong. However, during thepast few years, the idea of developingvessels which can work autonomouslyhas evolved and it is believed that thesewill become reality over the nextdecades. The development is expectedto start with small vessels with a reducedcrew and will eventually evolve into largeunmanned ocean-going ships. There arenevertheless many opinions on how thedevelopment will take place and howquickly autonomous ships will becomereality.

Model testing benefits thedevelopmentWhen developing technologies andautomated control systems forautonomous vessels, it is useful to testthese first in model tanks. Aker Arctic'sice laboratory provides an attractive toolfor testing and developing automatedcontrols because many differentconditions, even freezing and mistyweather, can be simulated. It is a muchmore economical way than to firstbuilding a real size vessel and thentesting it under full-scale conditions.

In order to carry out autonomous shipmodel testing, some majorimprovements to equipment andprocedures have been made. The testingfacility is currently being equipped with awireless system allowing complete freemanoeuvrability of the models whentesting autonomous vessels.

“New propulsion units andpropulsion control units havealso been developed,”says project engineer Jukka-PekkaSallinen, who is heading thedevelopment team at Aker Arctic.

With the DIVEC framework Aker Arctic can provide modernsolutions for transferring data between various sensor interfaces,data acquisition systems and visual user interfaces.

New propulsion units for model testinghave been developed.

15


Olli Kokko joined Aker Arctic in fall 2017after graduating from Aalto University. Inhis master's thesis, he developed areactive navigation system for modeltesting, and has since been tasked withvarious software and technicaldevelopment projects for the Electricaland IT team. DIVEC networkingarchitecture and its various componentsare a major part of his developmentefforts.

In his spare time, Olli enjoys climbing,jogging and tinkering with electronicsand machines.

Meet Olli Kokko

The propulsion control required anew software interface, in whichAker Arctic's newly developedDIVEC (Distributed IntelligentVessel Components) system wasapplied.

“We will initiate tests with the newpropulsion unit system, which allowsspecific control of the vessel motion.Once the tests prove successful wewill continue to test our in-housepath finding algorithm and routeexecution tests,” says Sallinen.

What is DIVEC?Aker Arctic's newly developedsoftware DIVEC is a simple,powerful and almost zero-configuration networkingarchitecture, originally designed forthe ice load monitoring system totransmit messages betweendifferent systems. It proved to be souseful, that it has also been appliedin the ice simulator and theautonomous model testing system.

The software architecture allowsreliable communication betweendifferent software components.Expanding the network is easy due tothe automatic node discovery, and itscentralized configurationmanagement enables thedevelopment of plug-and-playdevices.

With the DIVEC framework AkerArctic can provide modern solutionsfor transferring data between varioussensor interfaces, data acquisitionsystems and visual user interfaces.

Co-operation with SSPA and AaltoUniversityOne of the challenges in developingautonomous vessels is that maritimelaws do not recognize vessels with areduced crew, or no crew at all."The technology is evolving, but thereare no regulations or technicalstandards for autonomous vesselsyet," Sallinen says.

Aker Arctic, SSPA and AaltoUniversity have therefore decided tostart a co-operation project with theaim to standardize the proceduresfor autonomous ship model testing.The purpose is to create aninterface that allows testing thesame systems and algorithms in alltest facilities.

Aker Arctic's ice laboratory

provides an attractive tool for

testing and developing automated

controls because many different

conditions, even freezing and misty

weather, can be simulated.

A wireless system allows complete freemanoeuvrability of the models.

Alexander Nemchinov was born inMoscow and lived with his family directlyopposite the Moscow North River port.From early spring until late autumn theshipping life flowed before his eyes. As ateenager he began to spend his free timeon ships and from the age of 16 started towork during his holidays as a sailor. In1966, Nemchinov entered the shipmechanics department at the HigherMarine Engineering College in Odessa.While studying, he practiced onboardvarious ships, among them the Arcticsteam tug in the Tiksi port on theNorthern Sea Route.

Arctic experienceNemchinov started his career as anengineer on board the arctic fleet of theMurmansk Shipping Company, sailingalong the Northern Sea Route andabroad. He later joined the Ministry ofMerchant Marine in Moscow, where hisrole was mostly with the icebreaking fleetas he had gathered hands-on experiencein his previous job."When the project was initiated inTaymyr

the late 1970s, I was an employee at thecustomer's shipbuilding office. I wasabout 30 years old, had some basicknowledge in nuclear technology andambitions to join the project," Nemchinovsays."So I became involved in a rathercomplicated development project in closecooperation with Wärtsilä and USSRindustry until the shipbuilding contract in1984. I then took part in the constructionprocess at Helsinki Shipyard as thecustomer's representative."

"Rosatomflot, the operator of andTaymyr

Vaygach, is very happy with theicebreakers as they have run without ahitch through their long operationalhistory," Nemchinov adds.

In the early 1990s, Mikko Niini invitedNemchinov to join a Kvaerner Masa-Yards representative office in Moscowand when Aker Arctic Technology wasfounded in 2005, it was natural toproceed as their representative as well,reporting to Niini, who was in charge ofthat office.

Revolutionary double acting shipconceptAnother significant project, NorilskNickel's Arctic container vessels project,was initiated in the early 2000s. Thisopened a new era in the Arctic with theintroduction of the double acting shipprinciple on Arc7 ice class vessels.

"The challenges were that the customerwanted the vessel to be delivered at theirberth in Murmansk after full-scale tests.At that time, it was unheard of to attemptoperations on the Northern Sea Routewithout icebreaking support. However,today the -class vesselsNorilskiy Nickel

are one of the best references for AkerArctic Technology and most NorthernSea Route vessels follow the doubleacting ship principle."

Some other memories from his earlycareer involve being an apprentice forthe Arctic Shipping Company based inTiksi, running supply operations alongNorthern Sea Route."They still had 800 horsepower coal-firedTurku-built tug boats. I served for a fewmonths as a stoker, which was a reallytough job and a unique experience. Itwas a breakpoint in my life career, and Itruly understood that what doesn't kill usmakes us stronger."

Another special memory were the seatrials of the icebreaker Kapitan Nikolaev

in 1990. The ship had undergone aconversion outfitted with a new conicalbow susceptible to slamming in openwater."After some confusion with the crew, whowere unfamiliar with the converted ship,the MARC (Masa-Yards Arctic ResearchCentre) team managed to prove thevessel's performance."

Nemchinov recently celebrated his 70thbirthday but is not yet certain on what hewants to do when he retires. He is fondof many things ranging from classicalmusic to outdoor activities and marineadventures."Maybe I'll sail on a tall ship as a deckhand," he says.

16

Our man in MoscowAlexander Nemchinov has served as a link between theRussian and Finnish marine industries since the 1970s.He has been part of many important icebreaking projects,such as the SA-15 series Arctic cargo ships, the building ofnuclear-powered icebreakers and as well asTaymyr Vaygachthe introduction of double acting ship principle with the Arc7ice class Arctic container vessel . This year, heNorilskiy Nickelis turning 70 and is slowly easing up on his professionalactivities.


Alexander Nemchinov loves boat life.

Nuclear-powered icebreakers Taymyr andVaygach, built in the 1980s, are stillrunning and have done so without a hitchthrough their long operational history.

Norilsk Nickel's Arctic container vesselsopened a new era in the Arctic with theintroduction of the double acting ship(Aker Arctic DAS ) principle on Arc7 ice

TM

class vessels.

Nineteen SA-15-class multipurposeArctic cargo ships were built for theSoviet Union in the 1980s by Wärtsilä inTurku and Valmet in Helsinki.

17

Photo: Aalto University


navigation system must continuously bedeveloped and meet the requirements oftrading countries. More efficient,economical and environmentally friendlytransportation is needed due toincreasing traffic volumes, increaseddemands for sustainable developmentand more demanding environmentallaws. This equally applies during thewinter, and it is further important toremember that education and training isrequired to work and operate in cold icyconditions.

ImplementationThe implementation period of the projectis from 11 February 2016 till 31 October2019. The budget of the whole project is

18.97 million euro and the amount ofgranted CEF funding is 6.64 million euro.

Nine focus areas1. Implementation and furtherdevelopment of IBNextThe objective of this activity is to furthermodernise and deploy the IBNextplatform. The existing 20-year-oldicebreaking network, IBNet is a systemwhere satellite images, AIS-targets, portlist, ships register, weather forecast,information on other icebreakers'intentions etc. are integrated in onesystem aboard the icebreakers andashore in control centres.

2. Study on battery hybrid for saferand more environmentally friendlyoperationThe objective is to investigate the needsand potential savings for the largeAtle Urho/ -class icebreakers, which havea diesel-electric propulsion system. Theoutcome of this study can be used for anumber of applications in the maritimefield when additional power is required fora short time.

3. Further development of the commonrail systemThe objective for this activity is tocomplete the installation of the common

Safe winter traffic on the Baltic SeaThe European Union's northernmost waters are covered by seaice every winter, affecting smooth maritime transport in theregion. During normal and cold winters a high number of vesselsare frequently delayed due to ice conditions. The WinterNavigation Motorways of the Sea II (WINMOS II) project aims toensure safe and reliable winter traffic in a cost-efficient way byfurther developing the winter navigation system and ensuringsufficient icebreaking capacity.

WINMOS II is a continuation of theprevious WINMOS (I) project. The mainobjectives of WINMOS II are to furtherdevelop and enhance the maritime winternavigation system and its safety and tosafeguard the required icebreakingresources by developing new options aswell as by upgrading the old capacity tomeet modern day environmentalstandards.

Ice extent variesThe debate on global warming iscontinuously ongoing and some peoplethink that there will be no ice in the BalticSea in the future. It is therefore importantto underline the fact that sea ice isexpected to occur during the foreseeablefuture and will not disappear for manygenerations. Long periods with mildwinters have happened before, e.g.between 1930 and 1940.

Ice extent 1900-2015

It is impossible to forecast the extent of icecoverage for the next coming years andtherefore there must always bepreparedness for severe winters. It is alsovery important to bear in mind that winterswith lesser ice coverage are not easy froma merchant vessel's perspective. Duringthese winters the winds are typicallystronger, causing heavy ridging, andpressurised and drifting ice-fields in thefairway entrances. Most often these areeither impossible or at least not safe for

merchant vessels to pass through withouticebreaker assistance, hence makingicebreaking a necessity in the regioneven during mild winters. Ice coverage inthe Baltic Sea varies between winters.During severe winters, even the Danishstraights freeze over.

Costs of icebreaking servicesThe annual cost of icebreaking servicesdepends on how severe the winter is, butduring an average winter the cost oficebreaking in the Baltic Sea for Sweden,Finland and Estonia is about 86M€. Thecost of the whole winter navigation ismuch greater. The operational season foricebreakers is usually between Decemberand May but in a severe winter it can startas early as October.

Modern logistic standards requirepredictability in the transport system thewhole year round, which is why the winter

Different ice extents between mild,

average and severe winters.

18


rail system for the five engines aboardthe Swedish icebreaker and toYmer

develop software for regulation of theinteraction between all five engines;finally, a full-scale test trail will beperformed.

4. Life extension of FinnishicebreakersThe aim of this activity is to execute a lifeextension and upgrading programme fortwo Finnish icebreakers, the 1954-builtVoima Sisuand the 1976-built .

5. Pilot study on removableicebreaking bowThe objective of this activity is to pilot thetransformation of ice strengthenedvessels and larger tugboats intoicebreakers during wintertime byinstalling a removable icebreaking bowequipped with engines and propellers.With reduced investment costs, thisconcept would provide more flexibility forthe use of the fleet and will be of greatassistance in terms of extra resourcesduring extremely hard winters whenmore icebreaking services are needed.

6. Development of icebreaker trainingThe aim of this development activity is todevelop a programme and tools fortraining icebreaker officers. In theprevious WINMOS (I) project, a trainingprogramme for ship officers wasdeveloped. The focus of the project wasmainly on merchant vessels and therequired skills of the ship officersnavigating in ice covered waters. Thetraining of icebreaker officers also needsfurther development.

7. Study on life extension works forEstonian icebreakersThe objective of this activity is to preparea detailed study of the current technicalsituation of Estonian ships. A detailedtechnical study will be focused on theicebreaker and the multipurposeTarmo

vessel .EVA-316

8. Study on the adequacy oficebreaking capacity in the Baltic Seafor severe wintersStatistically, severe winters occur once ortwice in a decade. The last winterclassified as a severe winter was in2010-2011 with a maximum ice extent of309,000 km . Since then the winters

2

have been classified as normal or mild.The simulation model for winternavigation traffic from the WINMOS (I)project will now be utilized in the analysisand will be further developed and ascenario for very severe winters will bestudied.

Based on these findings, acontingency plan will be drawnup to ensure icebreaker capacityand other operational means tosafeguard maritime transport inthe whole Baltic Sea during avery severe winter when most ofthe Baltic Sea freezes.

9. Project management anddisseminationThis activity covers the technical andfinancial coordination of the action by theproject coordinator – the FinnishTransport Agency, with the support of theactivity leaders.

http://www.winmos.eu/about/

The port icebreaker forSabetta LNG-terminal, ,Ob

will soon be launched atVyborg Shipyard. TheIcebreaker7 ice class vesselis expected to be ready fordelivery before the end of thisyear. Based on the Aker ARC124 concept and basic designby Aker Arctic, willOb

become part of Atomflot's

Portoflot project, tasked withkeeping the harbour inSabetta open and assistingLNG-tankers in berthing andloading at the terminal.Additionally, three tugboatshave been delivered for theharbour: two Arc4 ice classtugs and one Arc6icebreaking tug.

Novy Port icebreakersclose to delivery

Port icebreaker for Sabettato be launched

The two icebreakers designedto support loading operationsat the Arctic Gates oil loadingterminal off Novy Port arecurrently in the final stages ofconstruction at VyborgShipyard. The first vessel,Alexandr Sannikov, will bedelivered to Gazprom Neft thisspring and the secondicebreaker, ,Andrey Vilkitsky

will follow later this year.

The oblique icebreaker Baltika

is currently performing icemanagement and standbyduties at the offshore oilterminal, while waiting for thetwo more powerful vesselsbased on the Aker ARC 130 Adesign to start service in theGulf of Ob next winter.

Full-scale ice trials will beperformed after delivery of thevessels.

Photograph: Vyborg Shipyard

News in brief

19

Stanislas Devorsine who is the vessel'sacting ice pilot for the first voyages to theAntarctic, has tweeted (@StanDevorsine)regularly about their first summer season.The vessel has encountered rough seas,tough ice conditions, freezing temperaturesand snowstorms, but also blue skies andbeautiful scenery. He has praised thevessel's manoeuvrability in both openwater and coastal ice.

At the start of the season, L'Astrolabe

parked at the edge of the fast ice, about 50kilometres north of Dumont D'Urville, andsupplies were transported to the station bya convoy of snow vehicles and thehelicopter that the vessel carries on-board.

The helicopter was also used to surveythe route and to find an optimal paththrough the ice pack. By the end of theseason, had managed toL'Astrolabe

reach all the way to Dumont D'Urvillethrough the ice.

The CEO of Chantiers Piriou (theshipyard responsible for the constructionof ) Pascal Piriou wasL'Astrolabe

onboard the polar logistics vessel duringits last voyage for this austral summer inthe beginning of February 2018. MrPiriou had the chance to experienceoperations hands on and to gathervaluable feedback on the vessel for boththe shipyard and designers.

"More detailed information about thesuccessful operation during the firstvoyages to Antarctica will be available atthe Arctic Passion Seminar in March2018," says project manager AndersMård.

In addition to the basic design andtesting of the vessel, Aker Arctic providedtechnical support to Chantiers Piriouthroughout the construction period.Specialists visited the shipyard at regularintervals to ensure that technical aspectsfor the ice-going ship were taken intoaccount. The vessel was finished on timewithin a tight two-year schedule.

L'Astrolabe was delivered in September2017 to her owners and operators TAAF-the French Southern and AntarcticLands, IPEV - the French Polar Instituteand the French Navy.

L'Astrolabe on her first missions

The French polar logistics vessel has her firstL'Astrolabesummer in the southern hemisphere behind her. She hassuccessfully undertaken several supply trips from Hobart inTasmania to the French research station, Dumont D'Urville, inAntarctica. Now she is returning to Reunion Island for patrollingduties in the Indian Ocean during the winter months.

L'Astrolabe parked close toDumont D'Urville.P : S. Devorsinehotograph

USCGC reaches McMurdo stationPolar Star

The Seattle-based, US Coast Guard cutter forced itsPolar Starway through the Antarctic ice in January as part of its annualmission and cleared a path through frozen waters for supplyships headed to Antarctica's logistics hub, the McMurdo Station.

The summertime supply deliveries allowthe station to stay operational year-round. The McMurdo station is home tothe largest laboratory in Antarctica, theAlbert P. Crary Science and EngineeringCenter. McMurdo also serves as astaging area for teams headed to theEarth's geographic south pole, were theAmundsen-Scott Pole Station is located,and other deep-field research camps.

USCGC , commissioned inPolar Star1977, is the US Coast Guard's onlyfunctioning heavy polar icebreaker.However, according to Coast Guard

Commandant, Admiral Paul Zukunft, it isliving on borrowed time. Her sister ship,USCGC , is currently beingPolar Seaused for spare parts. (news.usni.org.)

Acquisition programme underwayThe acquisition programme launched in2016 to replace USCGC withPolar Stara new, modern, heavy polar icebreaker iswell underway with industry studiesbeing finalized and proposals forconstruction being prepared. Thedecision on where to construct the firstvessel is expected in 2019, with deliveryin 2023.

In a recent , Admiral Zukunftseminarexplained that the need for heavyicebreakers is growing, as other nationsincluding Russia and China, routinelystake claims in the polar regions. Theplan, as of now, is to build a total of sixicebreaking vessels: three heavy andthree medium icebreakers. However,budget constraints may alter this plan.


Photograph: Chief Petty Officer

Rachel Polish/United States Coast Guard, 2017

20

Meet us here!

We will participate in the following events:

Aker Arctic Technology Inc’s newsletterISSN 2342-7965, ISSN 2342-7973Publisher: Aker Arctic Technology IncMerenkulkijankatu 600980 Helsinki, FinlandTel. +358 10 323 6300Fax +358 10 323 [email protected]

ditor in chiefE Reko-Antti Suojanen:Texts by CS Communications Oy:

ay-out Kari SelonenL :rinted in byP March 2018 Grano

Managing Director Reko-Antti Suojanenopened the day and told us about thecompany strategy. He spoke about whatare we supposed to do, why are wedoing it and where we are heading. Wethen worked in groups preparing how topresent to each other the differenttechnologies we work with, listened tovarious presentations as well asprepared targets and actions for thecoming years.

Christmas party celebrationAfter the serious part of the day, we allboarded a private boat for transfer toSuomenlinna fortress for a casualChristmas dinner. Suomenlinna is abastion fortress built on a group of

islands close to the Finnish capitalHelsinki. It was built during the Swedishera of our country's history as a maritimefortress and was a base for thearchipelago fleet. A special feature is thatin the course of history, Suomenlinna hasserved in the defence of three realms:Sweden, Russia and Finland. In 1991, theSuomenlinna fortress was added to theUNESCO World Heritage List as a uniquemonument of military architecture. Itcontinues to be a living, tended andinhabited district of the city of Helsinki, andcan only be reached by boat.

The evening culminated with a quizpresented by Aker Arctic's famousmaster of ceremonies Anders Mård. Thequiz was titled: Who wants to be anArctic Naval Architect in 2017?

Aker Arctic expert teams competed toanswer correctly some extremelychallenging questions regarding topicssuch as the Canadian icebreakerCanmar Kigoriak, the Caspian SeaMonster, and Göran “Gösse” Wilkman.

Learning abouttechnology

At the end of November, all ofAker Arctic's staff gathered fora Technology Day. Thepurpose was to learn about thedifferent technologies we workwith every day.

A consortium of 13 research organisationsand industrial partners from six countrieshas launched a joint development project,SEDNA, to address improved safety andefficiency in arctic shipping operations.Funded by the EU's Horizon 2020programme, the three-year project setsout to develop a novel risk-basedapproach to arctic navigation, ship designand maritime operations. Aker Arctic isone of the partners in the project.

SEDNA focuses on: modern bridgesystems with state of the art tools,improvement in voyage planningincorporating data transfer and big datautilisation, research into anti-icing

solutions, safety assessment of low flashpoint fuels, as well as risk-basedmethodologies in the design andoperation of ice-going vessels.

“This international development project

provides a good platform to further

improve areas in safety and efficiency of

the designs for the arctic shipping and

navigation," states Mr Reko-AnttiSuojanen, Managing Director of AkerArctic Technology Inc.

Further information about the SEDNAproject can be found at https://sedna-project.eu/

Improving Arctic shipping safetyAker Arctic, jointly with Aboa Mare,Finnpilot, Alfons Håkans, Simulco andImage Soft, has continued to develop theAker Arctic ice simulator.

"We have added a component which canbe used to train a crew in how to performicebreaker assistance," says JukkaSalminen, Aker Arctic. "Assisting anothervessel in ice is a challenging task and tobe able to practice it before actuallydoing it for real, is a fantasticopportunity."

User feedback is now being gatheredand training can begin in the autumn.

Development oficebreaker training

Arctic Meteorology summit,Levi, Finland20 - 21 March 2018

Current policy and Operational Issuesin Arctic Shipping Safety andEnvironment Protection,Brussels, Belgium20 March 2018

Russian Shipbuilding Conference,St. Petersburg, Russia5 - 6 April 2018

Neftegaz, Moscow, Russia16 - 19 April 2018

Arctic Shipping Forum,Helsinki, Finland17 - 20 April 2018

Navigate, Turku, Finland16 - 17 May 2018

International Economic Forum,St. Petersburg, Russia24 - 26. May 2018

Yamal Oil and Gas, Salekhard, Russia7 - 8 June 2018

ISOPE, Sapporo, Japan10 - 15 June 2018

International Marine DesignConference, Espoo, Finland11 - 14 June 2018

ICCE International Conference onCoastal Engineering, Baltimore, USA30 July - 3 August 2018

SMM, Hamburg, Germany

4 - 7 September 2018


Christmas party at Suomenlinna fortressoutside Helsinki.

Passion News 1 2018 Sivut - Aker Arcticworking in close technical co-operation for nearly two years....

Documents

Transcript of Passion News 1 2018 Sivut - Aker Arcticworking in close technical co-operation for nearly two years....