MARITIME ACTIVITIES EXTEND IN ARCTIC AREAS
Bureau Veritas has key understanding of ice
“We are living in the middle of ice
and more important asset in the maritime
equipment and good knowledge and ex-
and snow in Finland. These circum-
world because the yearly retreat of arctic
perience of crews navigating in ice. ■
stances offer us a special role in
ice is rapidly increasing. Due to the glob-
the world of classification and ve-
RISTO VALKEAPÄÄ
become warmer and longer, and this trend
Photo: Risto Valkeapää
rification of maritime technolo-
al warming the arctic summer season has
is expected to continue in future.
gies,” says Mr. Olli Kaljala, Marine
As a consequence, maritime activi-
Chief Executive for Bureau Veritas
ties can be significantly extended. In the
Branch Office for Finland.
future, the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route are likely to provide alterna-
“B
ureau Veritas published in the
tive shipping lanes for international trade.
end of the year 2010 new rules
The increase of the annual ice retreat
for polar vessels and production installa-
and discovery of large oil and gas reserves
tions, plus specific guidance on ice struc-
in the arctic region open up growth possi-
ture interaction,” he recounts.
bilities for shipping and offshore activities
“Understanding ice loads and structure in detail is vital to us.”
in the arctic part of the world.
Key issues include ice reinforcement
In Finland, there is a long history of
of the hull structure, ship hull form and
shipping in difficult ice conditions. Now
engine power, robustness of propulsion
this kind of knowledge is becoming a more
machinery, winterisation of ship borne
route via the Suez Canal has been eliminat-
gy consumption than conventional die-
ABB has been delivering electric
ed, saving time, energy consumption, ship-
sel-driven vessels of the same weight and
propulsion systems for icegoing vessels
ping costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
hull design.
for more than 70 years. To date some
Marine Chief Executive, Olli Kaljala, in the
middle of the arctic circumstances in Helsinki.
The secret behind this achievement is
This hull strength and Azipod’s
85 icegoing vessels have been equipped
a combination of ABB’s Azipod azimuthing
unique ability to rotate the vessel 360 de-
with ABB electric propulsion systems, in-
electric propulsion system and Aker Arctic’s
grees with full torque and thrust in any
cluding 26 with Azipod. Operating data
double-acting ship (DAS) concept, which
direction creates the ultimate solution for
shows that Azipod-propelled icegoing ves-
gives the container ships the capability of
icebreakers and icebreaking vessels.
sels have accumulated around one million
an icebreaking vessel and enables them to
operate at high levels of efficiency.
Bow-first has long been the preferred
method for vessels negotiating ice. ABB
Azipod and DAS make it possible for
ers a decade ago with the Tempera and
bow first in open water and stern first in
Mastera, the world’s first double acting oil
thick and heavily ridged ice.
bility and zero damage from ice. ■
and Aker extended the concept to freight-
Norilsk Nickel’s five container ships to sail
operating hours with 99.77 percent availa-
tankers with icebreaking capability. Now
They can cut through 1.7 meters
with the Norilsk Nickel fleet of container
of level ice and more than 10 meters of
ships, ABB and Aker have successfully ex-
ridged ice with considerably less installed
tended the concept to yet another ship-
power (13 megawatts) and lower ener-
ping application.
seatec 1/2011
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