MSV Fennica icebreaker

MS Fennica is a Finnish icebreaking vessel owned and operated by Arctia Ltd (a Finnish state-owned company). “MSV” stands for “multipurpose supply vessel”. One of Finland’s major icebreakers, Fennica is both a platform supply vessel and the first-ever Finnish multipurpose icebreaker. She was specifically designed to escort marine vessels in the Baltic Sea during winter and to support offshore construction projects throughout the rest of the year.

The vessel (IMO number 9043615) is currently Finland-flagged (MMSI 230245000) and registered in Helsinki.

With the same design is MSV Nordica, and similarly designed is MSV Botnica.

The list of other Finnish icebreakers includes (year built in brackets): Polaris (2016), Kontio (1987), Otso (1986), Sampo (1960), Urho (1975), Sisu (1976).

Det Norske Veritas classifies the ship as “1A1 POLAR-10 Icebreaker Tug Supply Vessel”. Ice class POLAR-10 signifies a hull strengthened for unassisted operations in polar regions (the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica). According to specifications, the ship’s icebreaking capability is up to 1 m (3 ft) in conditions including glacial ice floes.

As an icebreaker, the vessel can repeatedly ram ice ridges. On July 3, 2015, while en route to the Chukchi Sea to support Shell’s drilling operations, a hull fracture (99 cm long, 5 cm wide) was discovered. Fennica returned to Dutch Harbor (Amaknak Island, Alaska) and entered dry dock in Portland, Oregon, the following week for repairs.

Fennica vessel details and technology

For better maneuverability, the bow section of the hull is wider than the stern. The hull also features an explosion-welded ice belt (stainless steel) to reduce friction and protect the plating from abrasion.

To support offshore construction projects, the ship is equipped with a Hydralift heavy-lift crane rated at 30 tons (max radius 11 m / 36 ft) or 15 tons (max radius 20 m / 66 ft). An additional MacGregor crane provides 5-ton capacity (max radius 14 m / 46 ft) or 1.5 tons (max radius 30 m / 98 ft).

Before the 2012 refit, Fennica had a helicopter hangar, later removed and replaced by a helipad. Additional equipment includes a 120-ton A-frame (for ploughs and trenching equipment), Aquamaster-Rauma anchor, hydraulic towing winch, and a stern notch for towing smaller vessels through ice fields.

In late November 2014, Finland’s “Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy” issued a statement regarding the country’s aging icebreaker fleet. According to the report, Arctia Shipping’s older vessels will be fully replaced by 2029. The program’s estimated cost is approx. EUR 1 billion. The newbuilds (such as Polaris) must be multipurpose icebreakers capable of Arctic operations, including oil exploration support.

• 1 Dining Room, Sauna; no swimming pool; no elevator; 1 helipad (helideck)
• Max draught: 8.5 m (28 ft)
• DWT (deadweight): 1650–4800 tons
• Displacement: 12,800 tons
• Bollard pull (emergency towing capacity): 234 tons
• Power: 2 × Wärtsilä 16V32D diesels (6 MW each) and 2 × Wärtsilä 12V32D diesels (4.5 MW each)
• Propulsion: Diesel-electric; 2 × Aquamaster azimuth thrusters (ABB Stromberg motors, 7.5 MW each, ducted fixed-pitch propellers); 3 × Brunvoll bow thrusters (1.15 MW each, variable-pitch propellers)

Note: In areas with poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel’s current location may not be possible. CruiseMapper’s list of all icebreakers and icebreaking research ships is provided in the “itinerary” section of our Icebreakers hub.