The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has awarded a contract for the construction of a new icebreaker to local company Helsinki Shipyard.
The vessel will be named Aino. She will replace the icebreaker Voima, which was also built by Helsinki Shipyard and is now over 70 years old.
Construction of the new icebreaker will begin in 2027 while delivery to the FTIA is scheduled for September 2029.
The new icebreaker will be built under a contract valued at approximately €170 million (US$200 million).
Design work on the vessel will be undertaken by engineering firm Railotech (formerly Aker Arctic).
The completed icebreaker will have a length of 96 metres, an ice class B+ hull capable of withstanding changing ice conditions in the Baltic Sea, and a total installed power of 10.5 MW to enable the clearance of a 25-metre-wide channel.
Helsinki Shipyard is also currently building the first vessel of a new class of heavy polar icebreakers ordered by the Canadian Coast Guard.
