Ice-breaking tanker bow section launched in Croatia

Brodotrogir Shipyard in Croatia has launched the ice-breaking bow section of what will be a fully winterised year-round Arctic-class 44,000 dwt tanker.

The hull was launched and floated out onto a heavy-lift ship for transportation to Finland.

There the ice-breaking 167-m long bow section will be joined with the aft section, currently under construction at the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, to produce a tanker with an overall length of 230 m long.

The launch represents three great strides for Brodotrogir Shipyard.

The bow-first launch was unique in Croatia, and the ice-breaking hull is the first of its type built in the country.

It was also the first time the Croatian shipyard has handled and welded together such heavy, high-strength steel plates.

“Great technological strides were made with this Arctic tanker because such materials have not been used in Croatian shipbuilding before or not to such degree, “said Brodotrogir Shipyard owner Danko Končar just before the launch.

The launch is the culmination of co-operation that started in July 2016 between Arctech Helsinki Shipyard (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation) and Hrvatska brodogradnja Trogir, on constructing the front part of a 44,000-dwt tanker to transport condensate from the Yamal Peninsular without using icebreakers.

The design called for an icebreaker hull built to ARC 7 ice class, able pass through ice up to 2.5 m thick, 365 days a year. The tanker is to be fully-winterised and will be able to function down to -50°C.

The tanker is being constructed under double class of Bureau Veritas and Russian Register of Shipping.

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