Finnish company Aker Arctic, a leading designer of icebreakers, has been awarded a contract to design a new, modern medium-sized icebreaker. This contract is part of a major fleet renewal program aimed at preparing Finland’s icebreaking fleet for changing conditions in the Baltic Sea.
As climate change alters sea ice patterns, ice fields are becoming more dynamic and fragmented, especially during milder winters when open water mixes with drifting ice. This creates new challenges for icebreakers, requiring a fresh approach to their design.
The new icebreaker will be classified as B+, offering greater efficiency and power than traditional Class B vessels, while remaining more compact than heavy Class A icebreakers. The design will prioritize operational efficiency, enabling the ship to handle a wide range of ice conditions over its planned 50-year service life.
Aker Arctic plans to present at least two design packages, evaluating three fuel options: liquefied biogas, methanol, and ammonia. The final fuel choice will be made by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, which commissioned the new icebreaker.
Finland has a long history of designing icebreakers for both Baltic and Arctic conditions and is also involved in international programs like the ICE Pact, which aims to build icebreakers for Canada and the United States. Unlike the heavy icebreakers of the U.S. Coast Guard, Baltic icebreakers must be flexible enough to operate in rapidly changing conditions, often escorting smaller commercial vessels through narrow sea routes.
The design phase is on a tight timeline, with Aker Arctic aiming to deliver at least three alternative concepts by early 2026, followed by a construction tender, targeting the vessel’s delivery by 2028 — a rapid schedule even by global standards.
