Wärtsilä to Refit Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker
Finland's Wärtsilä reports it has won a contract for the delivery and integration engineering of two retractable thrusters and a dynamic positioning (DP) system for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker CCGS Amundsen.
Wärtsilä, which booked the order in July, said it was able to meet the CCG’s requirements to fit the equipment in the existing space of the 98-meter-long Arctic Class 3 Medium Icebreaker, the only vessel in its class to be fitted with retractable thrusters and DP. The new thrusters will be integrated with the existing bow thruster, which is also a Wärtsilä product.
The equipment is scheduled for delivery in September 2021.
“The Platinum DP system will exceed the functionality desired by the CCG, and will enhance the DP capacity of the vessel to perform sailing and maneuvering operations,” said Mike Ford, Sales Manager for Americas & DP at Wärtsilä Voyage.
Ford added that the system's intuitive interface helps to reduce required training prior to operation. “The user interface plays a critical role in helping operators make the most of the system in the trying conditions found in Canada’s Arctic waters,” he said.
Ian Brouwer, Senior Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power, said, “We continue to work closely with the CCG to ensure that we fully understand and successfully meet their requirements for specification writing, documentation and project management. Supplying the products is only part of the picture, since they need to be engineered for complete integration with the Amundsen’s existing machinery.”
CCGS Amundsen is a Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker and Arctic research vessel built by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. The vessel entered service in 1979 as Franklin and was renamed Sir John Franklin in 1980. Declared surplus, the vessel was used as an accommodation ship in Labrador in 1996 and placed in reserve in 2000. In 2003, the ship was reactivated and underwent conversion to an Arctic research vessel. The ship recommissioned as Amundsen.