Current geostrategic conditions have inspired the construction of several new icebreakers of late.
Almirante Viel is a particularly interesting one, constructed in Chile to a design by Canadian icebreaker experts Vard Marine.
She is a very practical, multi-purpose ship. Very importantly, she is able to operate for 250 days per year in the very harsh Antarctic environment.
"Almirante Viel is a remarkable vessel—not only because she is a polar class icebreaker, but also because she is the first dedicated icebreaking ship ever built domestically in Chile, at a shipyard with no prior icebreaker experience," Darren Truelock, Vard Marine's Vice President for Operations in Houston, told Baird Maritime.
"This achievement is a significant source of national pride, and Vard Marine is honoured to have supported such a project."
The process should be complicated to ensure you are tailoring and evolving the design to capture your customer's requirements.
Truelock added that the icebreaker a versatile, multi-purpose vessel capable of transporting goods, equipped with large cranes for cargo operations in Antarctica, and offering accommodation for up to 150 personnel.
"I think the process is always and should be complicated to ensure you are tailoring and evolving the design to capture your customer’s requirements," added Derek Buxton, Vice President of Business Development at Vard Marine.
"The lesson that is learned and is ever present in a ship design and build program continues to be early and often communication and integration with the shipyard."
For Truelock and Buxton, digitalisation is a major trend in naval architecture today, and this encompasses both 3D design and approval processes and the development of digital twins to support the product lifecycle.
"Decarbonisation and alternative fuels for meeting emission reduction targets set by the IMO, as well as autonomy and automation to reduce crewing and drive efficiency, are also having an impact on the industry," said Truelock.
Buxton explained that there will be an increasing demand for icebreakers to support Arctic expansion plans over the next few years.
"Arctic ice is receding, and new routes like the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage are opening," he told Baird Maritime. "Countries like Russia, China, the US, Canada, and those in Europe are investing in icebreakers to secure strategic, economic, and environmental interests in the region."
There's a clear trend toward multi-mission capability.
Buxton added that customer requirements for future icebreakers will also include emissions-reducing and efficiency-enhancing technologies such as hybrid propulsion systems, energy recovery systems, and optimised hull shapes.
"Modern icebreakers are no longer just for breaking ice," added Truelock. "There's a clear trend toward multi-mission capability - supporting research, logistics, search and rescue, and military operations, and some of our latest icebreaker designs have led to the development of multi-purpose icebreakers."
To highlight their multi-role capability, the vessels will also have space for modular payloads such as containerised laboratories and mission modules to enable them to switch between roles more easily.
"Advances in autonomous navigation and remote sensing are making their way into polar class vessels," said Truelock. "AI-supported ice routing and remote health monitoring systems will improve safety and efficiency in extreme conditions."
Icebreaking capability is increasingly seen as a strategic asset, and so investment in domestic programs will continue, especially in nations with polar interests. Truelock and Buxton believe this will lead to greater international competition and military presence in polar waters.
"In response to tightening environmental regulations, cargo ships are becoming larger but less powerful to improve fuel efficiency," Buxton told Baird Maritime. "However, this makes them more vulnerable in icy waters. The result is a growing need for more frequent and more capable icebreaker escort services, particularly in Arctic transit corridors."
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