Polaris – redefining Baltic Sea icebreaking
When Finland set out to procure a new icebreaker in 2012, the goal was clear: to create a vessel that could exceed all previous generations.
The result was Polaris – the first LNG-powered icebreaker in the world, and the first Baltic Sea icebreaker to adopt a groundbreaking three-azimuth propulsion configuration.
Key innovations included:
– Propulsion layout: a bow thruster combined with stern units dramatically enhanced manoeuvrability, safety in close towing, and ridge penetration.
– Environmental advances: dual-fuel power plant (LNG and MDO), oil recovery systems, and a zero-discharge policy.
– Operational efficiency: reduced need for close towing, faster assistance, and superior agility in ridged ice fields and brash ice.
Sea trials proved Polaris to be a leap forward – achieving over 12 knots in level ice, breaking through massive ridges, and setting new benchmarks for efficiency and assistance capability.
Today, Polaris continues to serve as a cornerstone of Baltic winter navigation and as the reference point for the next generation of Finnish and Swedish icebreakers.
🔗 Read the full story of how Polaris reshaped Baltic icebreaking: