VT Halter Wins Contract for New U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker

Maritime News
42

The new US federal budget contain funds for the second heavy icebreaker from VT Marine:

Any news on how the first one is progressing?

43

After passing the Pasha ships that Halter built from 100 yards away, I think that letting them try to build an icebreaker is just pissing away money.

44

Germans cancel the project that was reportedly used as the basis of the PSC design:

https://www.awi.de/en/about-us/service/press/press-release/call-for-tender-procedure-for-the-construction-of-a-successor-to-the-icebreaker-polarstern-has-been.html

45

Not about the US icebreakers from VT Halter Marine, but about the problems experience with the new nuclear icebreakers under construction in Russia:


The Russians have years of experience in building icebreakers and (I believe??) some assistance from foreign designers and equipment suppliers.

46

Those are Russian-designed and -built electric propulsion motors, manufactured by Ruselprom.

47

Thanks.

From Arctic News today:

48

One could jokingly say that one of the reasons for the Russians’ “years of experience in building icebreakers” is that many of their ongoing projects are years behind schedule and, due to significant design errors resulting in excess lightship weight*, have required extensive redesign effort. Let’s hope the US can do away without this kind of “design experience” and VT Halter’s PSC design will be successful.

(* in one case, the reason was cited as calculation error in displacement which a bit sounds strange as calculating the displacement is not that difficult compared to lightship weight…)

49

Leave it in St. Petersburg until machinery fixed

50

There’s no reason to leave Arktika to St. Petersburg until they can procure a new propulsion motor and install it sometime next year. At 40 megawatts, it would still the world’s fourth most powerful icebreaker (after 50 Let Pobedy, Yamal and USCGC Polar Star).

51

Continuing with the Russian theme, they just placed an order for a 120-megawatt “Leader”, twice as powerful as the ones currently under construction:

52

While we wait for Halter Marine to come with some news on their project, the keel for the 4th nuclear powered icebreaker has be laid in Russia:

53

This thread seems to have turned into a dumping ground for misc / other.