passion 2 2014 - aker arctic · regardless of changing tides. additionally, we had to take into...

2 / 2014 / 8

ArcticPassionNews

Aker Arctic Technology Inc Newsletter

First ArcticModule Carrierpage 4

Ice Simulatorreduces riskspage 8

New methodsfor measuring ice ridgespage 16

Icebreakingtrimaran familygrowspage 7

LNG is aclean optionpage 12

September 2014

LNG

2

Reko-Antti SuojanenManaging Director

Announcements

In this issue

From the Managing Director From the Managing Director

Page 3 Design agreement for

Aker ARC 121

Page 4 First Arctic module carrier

Page 7 Trimaran icebreaker

family grows

Page 8 Ice simulator reduces risks

Page 10 New era in Antarctic vessels

Page 12 LNG machinery is

a clean option

Page 15 Optimised friction

saves money

Page 16 New methods for measuring

ice ridges

Page 17 9th Arctic Passion Seminar

Page 18 What's up

Page 20 Training programme

graduation

Coming events

Ilkka Rantanen hasbeen appointedBusiness Develop-ment Manager andIPR Manager. He willbe in charge of IPRand Offshore businessat Aker Arctic. Hecomes from STXFinland Oy in Rauma,where he has held several positions inSourcing, Development and Sales &Marketing. Earlier in his career he workedat Hollming Works Group as BusinessDevelopment Manager and WorkshopManager.

Jorma Koponen hasbeen appointedProject Manager forthe Ice simulator. Hewas previously atNavis EngineeringOy, where he workedin marketing andsales of VesselDynamic Positioning-, Joystick control-,Remote Steering and Thruster Controlsystems.

Anders Mård hasbeen appointedProject Engineer inthe EngineeringDepartment. Hegraduated as NavalArchitect from AaltoUniversity in 2013

-and his thesis considered the experimental study of the ice-breaking process of an icebreaking trimaran.

Arctic Passion News No 8 September 2014

Karl Hamberg in MemoriamOur dear colleague and friend Karl Hamberg has passed away.Karl worked all his life in ship design, first at Wärtsilä HelsinkiShipyard, then at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Aker Finnyards andsince 2006 at Aker Arctic Technology, where he acted asDesign Manager coordinating the activities of the highly skilledteam of experts on ship design and arctic operations until 2011.Since 2011 Karl concentrated on IPR issues and acted asDesign advisor. In his career he participated in the designing,building and commissioning of nearly 50 significant ships.He was a great person and his commitment to and excitementabout ships and design was exceptional. His kind and elegantpersonality was well liked by all his colleagues and we all miss him.

Front cover:

Aker Arctic has in cooperationwith Meritaito carried out a fieldmeasurement research project, withthe goal being to test and evaluate the

applicability of a new method forprofiling ice formations and brash icechannels. This new method combinesscanning with laser and sonarinstruments. Read more on page16.

The year 2014 has been interesting and

challenging in many ways. The recent

changes in the political atmosphere have

also affected the business environment.

Specifically, this also concerns the oil

industry, which is one of the main drivers

for the recent icebreaker projects and for

arctic development in general.

However, we all must hope the situation

will not escalate and both developers

and operators can continue to work in

sustainable way in the arctic develop-

ment projects.

We at Aker Arctic have been very active

in the projects with our clients. The

development of the first-ever arctic class

heavy cargo carrier has been a very

interesting project technically. With the

shipowner, we have developed a vessel

for high arctic requirements and created

interesting technical solutions, all within

a very tight time schedule. It is also the

second vessel of our design to be

constructed in China, and it will result

more co-operation with China in the

future as well.

Other vessel projects and consultation

work have also kept our design staff

busy, and it seems the market activity is

high, with the ice model testing basin

having been in full use during the year.

There has also been continuous

research and development where we

have been concentrating on new

services, like the ice simulator, and on

the development of our vessels' fuel

economy and environmental friendliness.

My first eight months as the managing

director of Aker Arctic have been

interesting times, showing all the aspects

of the business; from the very sad and

unexpected accident of our long-time

colleague Karl “Kalle” Hamberg, but also

opening new client relations and projects

and continually bringing new highly

skilled staff into our company. The

successful services that the company

can provide to our clients will be our

main priority, and this further gives us all

a good position to look toward the future

with high expectations.

3

Arctic Passion News No 7 September 2014Arctic Passion News No 8 September 2014

Aker Arctic has made theconcept design for the new IceBreaking Standby Vessel(IBSBV) known as Aker ARC121 to meet the demandingcriteria of Sakhalin EnergyInvestment Company Ltd.(SEIC). Arctech HelsinkiShipyard signed a contract inAugust 2014 with Russia´slargest shipping companySovcomflot for the building ofthree of these vessels. Theywill be built for the North EastSakhalin Offshore region oiland gas field where they willserve the operator of Sakhalin-2, Sakhalin Energy InvestmentCompany Ltd. (SEIC). Thevessels will be deliveredbetween September 2016 andMarch 2017 and the totalvalue of the construction orderis about USD 380 million.

Sakhalin Energy and Sovcomflot have inJuly signed contracts for the constructionand long-term operation of the threemultifunctional icebreaking standbyvessels to serve the Sakhalin-2 offshoreenergy platforms. Operations under thecontract will continue for 20 years. Thevessels will be used as year-roundpersonnel carriers and also as supplyvessels for offshore platforms in the Seaof Okhotsk. In an emergency, thevessels can be deployed for personnelevacuation and oil spill response. Theywill be operating in thick drifting ice forice management and icebreaking intemperatures as cold as -35°C. Theicebreaking capability of the standbyvessels is very high; the vessels are ableto proceed independently in 1.5 metrethick ice.

This new series of IBSBV´s is a furtherdevelopment of the Aker ARC 105concept, whilst the design and technicalparameters of the new vessels werespecially modified to meet the needs ofthe Sakhalin-2 project.

"The Aker ARC 121 design is developedto meet the demanding design criteriaset forth by SEIC. The final design workwill begin this autumn by Arctechaccording to the demands of both theowner and operator. Our responsibilitywill be to define hull form and conductopen water tests as well as ice trialsonce the vessels have beenconstructed," says Maximilian Vocke,Project Manager at Aker ArcticTechnology.

www.sovcomflot.ru,www.sakhalinenergy.com, www.arctech.fi

Design and LicenseAgreement for Aker ARC 121

This new series of IBSBV´s is a furtherdevelopment of the Aker ARC 105concept, whilst the design and technicalparameters of the new vessels werespecially modified to meet the needs ofthe Sakhalin-2 project and thedemanding design criteriaset forth by SEIC.

Photo: Arctech Helsinki Shipyard

4

First Arctic module carrierfor Yamal LNG plantAker Arctic has actively been involved in researching andcreating logistic and operational solutions for Yamal LNG since2010. In addition to developing LNG-carriers, port icebreakersand assisting in designing the harbour of Sabetta on the YamalPeninsula, we have helped in preparations for the new LNGplant. The plant construction is based on a modular principle,with modules manufactured all around the world, gathered inEurope and then transported to Yamal. Aker Arctic has recentlybeen responsible for designing two Polar class heavy deckcarriers for the safe transportation of these modules to the plantconstruction site. The development work has been carried out inclose cooperation with ZPMC-Red Box Energy Services.

Main dimensionsLength 206 6 m.

Breadth 43 m

Draught 7 5 (max 8 m).

Deck load max 21 800 tons

Flat cargo deck area 7 500 m²

Propulsion 2 x 12 MW

The Liquefied Natural Gas plant inSabetta will be constructed of severalhundred different modules, which arebuilt at different locations around theworld. These modules weigh up to10,000 tons and will be gathered in aEuropean harbour before shipment toYamal. It will take about four years todeliver them all to the Arctic area. Due tothe harsh conditions found in the areawith temperatures down to minus 40degrees Celsius for part of the year, noordinary vessel is able to take care ofthis kind of transportation.

Cargo ship with Polar Class 3Aker Arctic has now, in close cooperationwith ZPMC-Red Box Energy Services,

developed two module carriers, whichcan operate year-round in delivering themodules to Yamal. These carriers aredifferent from anything designed andconstructed earlier. They are typicalheavy cargo ships with a wide cargodeck, but designed for exceptional icecircumstances as they need to be able tomove in the Gulf of Ob round the year inorder to keep the construction of theLNG plant on schedule. The ice class istherefore Polar Class 3.

"Two of the major challenges in designingthe vessels were firstly the weight of themodules and secondly the way they will beloaded onto the ship, as the ship needs tostay balanced at all times. We had tooptimise the construction so that it did not

become too heavy but remained strongenough to manage the weight," ProjectManager Mika Hovilainen explains. "Theship draught had to be between 8-12met s and loading needed to be donereregardless of changing tides.Additionally, we had to take into accountthe Arctic weather and the schedule wastight. We began the project in autumn2013, construction will begin autumn2014 and delivery of the vessels will beat the end of 2015/beginning of 2016.”

Rinse van Lievenoogen, Chief TechnicalOfficer at ZPMC-Red Box EnergyServices, and responsible for theongoing collaboration between theZPMC-Red Box and the Aker ArcticDesign Teams states,

September 2014Arctic Passion News No 8

5

September 2014

”The stability requirements of a vessel likethis requires a highly sophisticated ballastsystem. The additional complexity ofoperating this ballast system above theArctic Circle posed a major technicalchallenge in the concept design phase ofthese unique vessels. Maintainingequilibrium between the vessel deck andthe loading quay throughout the tidal cyclewhile at the same time being able toprecisely manage the trim of the vesselduring the discharge of ultra heavy cargoeswas a critical criteria in our requiredspecifications.

ZPMC-Red Box contributed a new ballastsystem design which transfers ballast waterinternally in such a way as to improve thecontrol and efficiency of dischargeoperations. The safe discharge of highvalue modules for energy infrastructureprojects has been an area of constantfocus to our Team at ZPMC-Red Box andwe were extremely pleased with the closecooperation we enjoyed working with ourpartners at Aker Arctic on these PC-3Module Carriers.

We were also pleased to see Aker Arcticincorporate our suggested Bridge design,which not only complies with the NAUT-AWrequirements, it assures maximum visibility,from every position on the Bridge, allowingthe safest possible Arctic navigation whilemaximizing the performance of the vesselsin the most extreme arctic conditions."

Icebreaking port tug ARC 125 underwayThe basic design process of an icebreaking port tug for YamalLNG is underway with model testing already done. In thebeginning she will assist the Arctic module carrier in harbouroperations and later other vessels. Her primary tasks areescorting services, icebreaking, assistance in harbouroperations and ice management functions.

She is designed for year-round operations in the Sabettaharbour area. Her ice strengthening enables independentoperations in pre-broken thick first year ice and her hull form isdesigned for operations in thick brash ice conditions, while stillmaintaining adequate operability as an escort and harbour tug.

The tug is able to proceed at a speed of 2 knots in both 1.0metre level ice and 4 metre thick brash ice with consolidatedlayer on top in limited water depth, which prevails in Sabettaharbour.

A special feature of the ship isthe deck heating system.After extensive calculationsand modelling, the finalsolution was to place steampipes below the deck, whichare turned on 24 hours beforeunloading.

The surface temperature field of the deck after thespecified heating time. The highest temperaturesare located above other structural members,whereas the lowest temperatures can be foundnear the cold side plating.

Arctic Passion News No 8

CFD calculations were usedfor optimising open watercharacteristics.

Deck heating systemA special feature of the ship isthe heating system of thedeck. Spray blown off the seaand freezing immediately oncontact with the ship cancreate snow and ice cover onthe large 43 by 175 metredeck area. Ice in particularmust be removed from thedeck to ensure safe operationduring offloading. Variousoptions were studied in orderto find the best solution for theremoval of the ice.

“We used CFD tools to modelboth radiation and convectionfrom possible heating systemsto the deck.

36

Expertise at all stages"In this project, we have been able tooffer our know-how at all stages, makingthe initial feasibility studies of the Yamalarea, developing LNG transport solutions,assisting in the harbour design, planningvarious assisting vessels, and nowcontinuing with delivering a design for thisarctic module carrier for the constructingshipyard Guangzhou ShipyardInternational in China," Project ManagerHeikki Sipilä emphasises.

"For the module carrier, we were firstresponsible for the design concept andwe are continuing now with the basicdesign process. All development work iscarried out in close cooperation with theshipowner ZPMC-Red Box EnergyServices.

Once the vessels are built we will takecare of the full-scale ice trials. This is animportant reference for us, which showshow we can serve our customersthroughout a project. It is also an exampleof how both our theoretical and practicalexpertise can be combined."

Meet Heikki Sipilä

Heikki Sipilä joined Aker Arctic last year in April. He hasworked all his life with ship development and ship engineeringin Turku, Finland, first with Wärtsilä, then Masa Yards andlastly at STX Life cycle services before beginning hisemployment at Aker Arctic.

He lives in Turku with his wife and drives between the Turkuand Helsinki offices, often several times per week. Apart fromwork, he takes an interest in forestry at his leisure cottage inthe Tampere area. Heikki is responsible for the basic design ofthe Arctic module carrier.


Aker ARC 101 design IBSSV”Fesco Sakhalin” at an oilplatform in the Sakhalin-1project.

The challenge was to optimise theheating system so that it is efficient, butdoes not create too much weight,"Structural Engineer Teemu Ikonen tells."The final solution was to place steampipes below the deck, which are turnedon 24 hours before the arrival. The heatmelts the ice enough to create a thinwater layer below it so that the rest canbe shuffled away mechanically."

Extensive model testingThe vessel will have an operation profilewhere most of the voyage will be sailedin open water and following a route alongthe Norwegian coast with challengingwave conditions. An extensive amount ofmodel testing was made in order toensure that the requirements of bothgood open water features and iceperformance were met withoutconstruction prices becoming excessive.Slamming pressure measurement wasparticularly important. CFD calculationswere used extensively for optimisingopen water characteristics.

“Our aim was to develop a carrier with agood performance combination both foropen water and ice, and we succeededin this," Mr Hovilainen adds. "The carriercan proceed at a speed of 3 knots in 1.5metre thick ice with 2 x 12 MW propul-sion power."

Special vessels needed forsupply operations in the ArcticThe Arctic area is challenging, not onlybecause it is remote, conditions are harshfor a substantial part of the year, but alsobecause there is no infrastructure inplace. The vessels needed in this areahave to be specially designed for theprevailing conditions.

During the warmest summer months,lower ice-class vessels can be used butas soon as temperatures drop, theoperative window closes if vessels are notadequately designed. Also, supplyoperations need special vessels.

"These kinds of vessels are typically notavailable for charter as they have to betailor-made, which means that thedelivery time is long. As the operativewindow is narrow in the Arctic, it canbecome very costly if investmentdecisions are delayed and consequentlythe time frame extends, not only by a fewmonths but even by a year because of theoperative window. Our core know-how ishow to plan successfully for operations,logistics and supply functions in the Arctic,so we welcome customers who haveinvestment plans to come forward andtalk to us for advice in all these matters atan early stage," explains MarketingManager Arto Uuskallio.

7

The icebreaking trimaranfamily has grown and includesnow three different sizes: aBaltic Sea icebreaker, anArctic icebreaker and anIcebreaking harbour tug.The earlier developedconcepts are the Baltic Seaicebreaker and the Arcticicebreaker with the mostrecent addition being thesmaller icebreaking harbourtug, which has beendeveloped up to conceptdesign stage.

Icebreaking harbourtrimaranThis vessel is intended foryear round operation in e.g.the Baltic Sea, to work as anescorting icebreaker tugassisting cargo vesselsmainly in areas with first-yearice. It is planned to be an icemanagement vessel inharbour brash ice conditions,servicing fairways in openwater conditions, oil recoveryand fire-fighting, as well asacting as a multipurposesalvage tug.The vessel has a main centrehull and two pontoons on thesides. The main icebreakingdirection is in ahead modeand it can create a channelabout 27 metres wide, whichmakes it excellent forassisting wide cargo vesselsin ice.Due to the large deck area,the vessel is suitable for largelight deck cargoes. Its stabilitymakes it excellent also formaintenance work. Thevessel is 45 metres long and25 metres wide with ice-breaking capabilities of 0.4

metres at 7 knots. Theoreticalicebreaking capability is about1.2 metres.

Further testing oftrimaran concept“Last year, we performedextensive model tests in ourtesting basin for the harbouricebreaker; we measuredloads and verified the calcu-lated ice loads when thevessel encounters large icefeatures, such as ridges. Theresults showed that nothingdramatic happened and thatloads were slightly lower thanexpected. This proves that theconcept is feasible from astructural viewpoint and goodfor icebreaking," StructuralEngineer Ville Valtonen says.

“We also researched theoptimal width for icebreakingpurposes. The results indica-ted that a width of up to 50metres worked best. Theoriginal trimaran is 40 metreswide. Tests also showed thatthe trimaran breaks ice moreefficiently than a conventionalship of the same width,because of the constructionwith a centre hull and twopontoons on the side."

In August open water testswere performed in order toverify calculated loads,slamming loads and researchon the wave conditions inwhich the vessel's motions aresuch that working on thevessel is still possible.

“The test went very well andresults are promising. We willpresent the results in moredetail in the next issue ofPassion News, “ Mr Valtonenpromises.

Trimaran icebreaker family growsSeptember 2012September 2014

One of the latest innovations in icebreaking isthe use of a trimaran concept. Tests haveshown that a trimaran is more efficient inbreaking ice than a conventional icebreakingvessel of the same width. It is also lighter anduses less power to create a wide channel. AkerArctic has now developed three different sizesof the trimaran concept.

A smaller sized trimaran harbour icebreaker is the latestaddition to our icebreaking trimaran family.

0

15

10

5

0

50 100 150 200 250

Bolla

rd p

ull

/ beam

( t / m

)Level icebreaking capabilityTrimaran icebreaking capability

Maximum ice thickness (cm)

Existing icebreakers/icegoing vessels

Limit of best conventional icebreakers

Better

perf

orm

anceIcebreaking trimaran

Tests showed that the trimaran breaks ice more efficiently thana conventional ship of the same width, because of theconstruction with a centre hull and two pontoons on the side.

The side hull encounters an ice field with micro cracks causedby the middle hull. These micro cracks work for breaking the icebetween the hulls. Furthermore, the ice edge caused by themiddle hull is freely supported whereupon the inner side of thebow of the side hull breaks the ice between the hulls with radialcracks using little energy. The outer side of the bow of the side hullbreaks the ice traditionally with circumferential cracks, which oftenpropagate all the way to the free edge caused by the middle hull.


8

September 2014

Ice simulator reduces risksRequirements of safety andrisk elimination are toppriorities in the Arctic. Withthe new Aker Arctic developedice simulator, operations in icecan be simulated and vessels'behaviour in ice can bepractised in advance, whichgreatly reduces risks foraccidents. It is also useful inthe planning stage andtherefore reduces investmentrisks for ship owners.

Aker Arctic's Ice simulator offers anexcellent tool for simulation and training.It is based on the knowledge of ice wehave gathered for decades in ourdatabase, made into a visually appealingprogram and installed at The FinnishMaritime Academy Aboa Mare in Turku.Aboa Mare has trained seafarers nowfor 200 years.

The ice simulator is in use on two oftheir ship bridges and they help studentsgrasp what it really feels like navigatinga vessel through ice. Individual vesseldesigns can be programmed into thesimulator so that a new or plannedvessel can be tested before it isconstructed. The ice simulator is alsosold separately for use at customers'own premises.

Both for planning and training“The ice simulator is a tool that can beused in many stages of a vessel project.In the planning stage it can be used totest how a ship design will function inice. A ship owner can also use it whenplanning operations. Before sending afleet on a mission the situation can besimulated in order to evaluate e.g. howmany ships will be needed. It can thenbe used to train the icebreaker crew orcommercial ship crew," Project ManagerJorma Koponen explains.

The ice simulator now featuresicebreaking in different ice types, cuttinga vessel loose from ice and propellerwashing. It is constantly being improvedand new features added. Next to comeare close towing in ice, inclining effect ofships and maybe in the future,calculation models for e.g. fuelconsumption, depending on the specificneeds from customers.

"A practical example is for instancetowing in ice, which is extremelychallenging as the vessel being towedcan push the assisting vessel into adifficult position against an ice ridge.With the simulator this can soon bepractised, therefore substantiallyreducing risks when performing such anoperation in a real-life situation," MrKoponen adds.

Lower investment risk"We can now offer our clients the entirepackage: from planning and designing totesting and training. And most of it canactually be done before constructing thevessel when plans can still be changed.This is a new possibility, which greatlyreduces also the monetary risk ofinvestments," Mr Koponen emphasises.

First feasibility study using icesimulatorWe have recently done our first feasibilitystudy for a customer who wanted tosimulate how a planned port wouldfunction and how vessels would move inthat port. Our customer was able tonavigate a transportation vessel and anassisting icebreaker in different icecircumstances and in different windconditions in order to see if plans wouldwork as intended, or if there was a needfor adjustments. The ice simulator wasprogrammed to include exact designs ofthe port and the two vessels for anaccurate simulation. The simulation tookplace in Turku at Aboa Mare's trainingpremises last July."The customer was really happy with thepossibility to have a full-mission simulatorstudy to test the viability of the port designand find operational limits for the port andthe vessel in year-round conditions. Laterwhen the vessels are constructed, thecrew can be trained using the samesimulator," Mr Koponen tells.

The ice simulator offers an excellent toolfor both planning and training operationsin ice.


9

Meet Jorma Koponen

Jorma Koponen joined Aker Arctic last April and is responsible fordeveloping the ice simulator and bringing it to the market.

He began his career building boats, proceeded to marketing and thenstudied to become a Captain at Aboa Mare in Turku. He transferredfrom Navis Engineering Oy, where he was selling DP units equippedwith simulators. Being a captain himself, he says he can reallyunderstand the needs of ice-going vessels' skippers.

“Navigating in ice is a challenging situation for a captain, and thechance to practice in advance with the ice simulator is simplyfantastic," he says.

Jorma spends his free time with his wife and two boys. He has aspecial hobby: orienteering with his six brothers.

The European Union isfunding a project calledWinmos, where the plan is todevelop safe winternavigation on the Baltic Sea.Our ice simulator is alsobeing developed as part ofthis project, with aneducational program jointlywith Kalmar MaritimeAcademy. The FinnishMeteorological Institute isadditionally planning anicebreaker plot, a situationawareness system, whichwould provide icebreakerswith satellite images of ice-covered areas and show thevessels moving in that areafor improved safety.

Our customer used the icesimulator to navigate atransportation vessel and anassisting vessel in different iceand wind conditions in order tosee if plans would work asintended or if there was a needfor adjustments.

"The visual choices in our icesimulator are realistic andtherefore it is easy to use andtrust," Mr Koponen says.

“The cost for using the icesimulator is low in comparisonwith all the possibilities itoffers in increased safety andpreventing accidents in winternavigation.”

Aker Arctic Ice Simulator isshown at SMM Exhibition inHamburg in September.


Safe winter navigation on the Baltic Sea

10

Activities in Antarctica arelimited to science only by theAntarctic Treaty for the nextfew decades. Still, Antarcticahas gradually become anincreasingly importantresearch place, which has andwill intensify permittedactivities progressively. Theavailable research vessels aregetting older and there aremore and more plans toupgrade or replace thesevessels.

Antarctic operation, predominantlyresearch, is not commercial business assuch. However, where money isrequired, business elements areinvolved. The same cost and businesselements are involved regardless ofwhich kind of organisation operates andowns Antarctic vessels, whether it isgovernment directly, a government-managed and -owned institute, or aprivate enterprise. Without exception, allcountries are suffering from a lack offunding for Antarctic operations. Thus,there is tremendous pressure to delivermore in science for less money.

First-class technologyAker Arctic can offer cost-competitiveand technologically first-class productsfor Antarctic operations, and we havebeen involved in more than ten differentvessels/projected vessels for Antarctica.With our experience in all kinds ofdemanding ice-going vessels, we can beconsidered an expert in vessels forcommercial, support and research use.

Antarctic vessels are required to act bothas cargo-carrying vessels, people-carrying vessels and ocean researchplatforms. An additional challengingfeature is that the vessels have a longopen water leg – very often in roughseas – and ice conditions can be verydifficult when approaching thedestination.

Generic concept for futurevesselsBased on our understanding of futureactivities, the general level requirementsfor an Antarctic combination vesselserving average needs are outlined onthe right. This can be used as the basisfor developing a concept, which isoptimised for desired technical functionsand minimum costs.

Scientific laboratories: 250 m²

Science deck aft: 400 m with A-frame²

and other "standard" equipment

Scientific personnel: about 30 people forship-based research

50 passengers to be carried to and fromthe Antarctic bases

Dry cargo volume: 200 m ,800 tons³

Liquid cargo in tanks: 800 tons

Maximum flexibility between scientificareas and dry cargo areas

Minimum crew

Maximum speed

in open water: 16 knots

optimum transit speed: 10–12 knots

Icebreaking capability 1.2 m

Endurance:

Europe to Antarctica at transit speed

60 days in Antarctica, 50%

of that time in ice

Over-wintering in case of emergency

Helicopter operations and helicopterbase

Cargo handling:

Crane

Helicopter

Ice strengthening IA Super plus (PC 5 to4), adjustment for differences in iceconditions between Antarctic waters andBaltic

Waste return capability

Top of the line environmental protection


New era in Antarctic vessels

September 2012

11


From a technical point of view, anazimuthing propulsion system hasbenefits in manoeuvring capabilitiesand in vessel design, but the shaftlinealternative is also a good choice if thevessel's operation profile allows it. Bothcan be combined with the double-actingconcept, which we have developed,where a ship operates with a bulbousbow first in ice-free conditions and invery thin ice. In heavier ice, the shipoperates in stern-first mode. The bulbousbow gives the ship significantadvantages such as better fuel efficiency,better seakeeping characteristics and abetter platform for equipment sensitive tohydrographical disturbances. It is to benoted that if ramming in heavy ice isexpected, an icebreaking bow is justified.

Recent research vesselprojectsThe most recent research vessel projectswe have been involved with are theChinese polar research vessel, which isnow being constructed in China, and theEuropean polar research icebreakerAurora Slim. S.A. Agulhas II is a SouthAfrican icebreaking polar supply andresearch ship built in Finland in 2012, inwhich Aker Arctic had a strong designand development involvement. Otherupcoming projects worldwide are fromthe UK, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Peru,Germany, India, Korea and Norway.

“The last boom in Antarctic researchvessel projects was twenty years ago, sonot many people remember all the issuesfrom that time. Therefore, it is essentialto choose a partner with the capability toadvise and give input on the differentoptions which are possible within therange of a given budget," Sales andMarketing Manager Arto Uuskallioemphasises.

"Researchers are naturally looking forthe best technical equipment available,but this is not always possible withgovernment-funded projects, wheremoney is a limiting factor. We can helpby providing options which will fulfil mostresearchers' needs, in addition todesigning a top-of-the-line vessel."

The European polar research icebreaker Aurora Slim is a cost-effective andtechnically unique design developed, designed and tested by Aker Arctic.

The advanced icebreaking research vessel we havedesigned for the Polar Research Institute of China willbe used for polar oceans research mainly in Antarctica.

12

September 2014

LNG fuelled machineryis a clean optionThe use of LNG (liquefiednatural gas) fuel is currentlygrowing at a rate of 7-8% peryear. Tightening environmentalregulations is one reason butalso proven LNG technology,lower fuel costs and vast gasresources are other drivingforces behind new investmentdecisions.

Using gas as fuel in ships is nothing new.Since the early 1970´s LNG carriers haveused the natural boil-off from LNG cargoas secondary fuel while transporting LNGto the market. Primary fuel is HFO orintentionally vaporised LNG. Still, themajority of conventional LNG carriers arefitted with steam turbine machinery,which can easily utilise the energy fromthe boil-off gas evaporating from the LNGwhile keeping the cargo cold.

Dual fuel engine technologySince the beginning of 2000, diesel-electric machinery with dual fuel engineshas taken over and is the most commonchoice in new ships. These ships areequipped to use both LNG and fuel oil asthe primary fuel option.

Gas engine technology has developedquickly, with Finnish company WärtsiläFinland being a forerunner, and mediumspeed gas engines are now available invarious sizes. Also, lean burn (gas only)type engines are on the market coveringeven the smallest engine range.Recently, large slow speed engines usingeither high pressure gas or lean gashave been introduced for marine use andhave entered as rivals to medium speedgas engines.

"On the outside, dual-fuel engines looklike ordinary oil-burning diesel engines.They are more expensive than ordinarydiesel engines as they have two fuelsystems. The change from one fuel toanother can be done with the enginerunning and if a disturbance occurs in thegas fuel system or if the power rate getstoo low for gas mode, the oil mode isswitched on automatically. Dual-fuelengines develop about 10% less powerthan same sized oil-fired engines buttheir thermal efficiency in gas mode isslightly better," Mauri Lindholm, PrincipalNaval Architect at Aker Arctic Technology,explains.

Additional systems for gas-fuelledmachinery are necessary. They includethe LNG fuel tank with tank insulation,LNG vaporiser with heating system, gasfuel piping and ventilation of hazardousspaces. All these require space and addweight to the vessel. On the other hand,less equipment for fuel oil storage anduse is needed.

"When liquefying natural gas, it shrinks to1/600th of its original size. As a very lightliquid, it still takes up more space thanfuel oil with the same energy content.The storage tanks also need to haveeither an outer insulation, or a secondenclosure with vacuum in-between thedouble structure for insulation and safety.A vaporiser unit is typically integrated inthe LNG fuel tank.

Such a tank module is placed in a tankroom – if the tank is placed inside aship's hull. This means that storing LNGfuel may require more than three timesthe storage space compared to a fuel oiltank that can be constructed as astructural tank in a ship's hull. For shipdesigners this poses a challenge, asvaluable space has to be used for fueltanks. Also, when planning to modifyexisting vessels this is an important pointto consider. One option is to position thestorage tanks vertically to save space or,to place the gas fuel tanks on open deck– if the ship design allows," Mr Lindholmcontinues.


LNG fuel can with today's technology also be used for ice-going vessels andicebreakers, which are exposed to fast power variations. Dual-fuelled Diesel-electricmachinery of a Finnish icebreaker concept. (Picture: Aker Arctic)

Vacuum insulated LNG fuel tank: Vertical and horizontal tank configuration (Aker Arctic).

13

September 2014

Emission comparison

When burning LNG in combustionengines, a reduction of 80 to 90% of NOxemissions is achieved compared to fueloils. LNG contains no sulphur andtherefore a 100% reduction in SOxemissions as well as a 25 to 30%reduction in CO is achieved. Particles²like soot in exhaust gases are almostnone and the smoke is invisible. There isless need for overhauling engines,lubrication oil purification ormaintenance.

From 2015 onwards the EmissionControl Areas (ECA) will have tighteremission regulations, and by using LNGfuel these are fulfilled and evensurpassed. Older vessels can installscrubbers or use fuel with low sulphurcontent, but these actions may becomeexpensive and do not reduce emissionsto the same extent as LNG. Also, EEDI(En Efficiency Design Index) isergyexpected to introduce moreenvironmentally efficient ship designs.

“Natural gas reserves are vast.Availability and distribution of LNG isimproving all the time. LNG has becomean everyday commodity with prices goingdown so that it can now be lower thanthat of HFO, therefore offering savings infuel costs," Mr Lindholm adds.


LNG is superb as cleaner fuel. A study of exhaust gas emissions of different fueloptions (Source: DNV, Greener shipping in the Baltic Sea, 2010).

Development of LNG fuelled fleet.( Source: DNVGL, 2014)

Num

ber

of ship

s d

eliv

ere

d

Year of delivery

Total in operation

Updated 07.03.2014 excluding LNG carriers and inland waterway vessels

Total under construction / contract signed

2000

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Development of LNG-fuelled fleet – excluding LNG carriers and inlandwaterway vessels (Source: DNV 2014)

Ships today and tomorrowToday, there are proven gas engines ofvarious sizes available. Apart from over400 existing LNG tankers and 126 suchships on order, there are more than onehundred LNG fuelled ships around theworld, many of them in Norway.They comprise of offshore supply andservice ships, patrol and coast guardships, passenger and car ferries, smallercargo ships, tankers, tugboats and riverships with more to come. According tofuture scenario reports, LNG will be thefuel of choice in 20 years' time.

The dual-fuelled offshore patrol vessel”Turva” for the Finnish Border Guard.The vessel built by STX Finland inwas2014. (Photo: Pentti Heikkilä)

14

Arctic Passion News No 7 September 2014September 2014

Meet Mauri Lindholm

Mauri Lindholm has worked in shipbuilding and design for 34years. He lives and works in Turku starting his career as NavalArchitect at Turku Shipyard, which has changed owner andname several times since.

In 2005, he joined Aker Arctic Technology. Mauri usually workswith conceptual ship designs and feasibility studies. He worksclosely, in addition to clients and colleagues at Aker Arctic, withcooperation partners of whom many are located in Turku. He isour LNG expert.

In his free time he enjoys sailing in the Turku archipelago,cooking and gardening with his wife and children.


“The technology is available and a well-functioning solution can be designed forany ship type according to its needs. Ice-going vessels, especially icebreakers,that are exposed to fast power variationswere initially a challenge, but this is notthe case anymore as solutions to thisoperation have been developed," MrLindholm emphasises.

Finland will soon have three LNG fuelledvessels. The first one, introduced 2013,was the car passenger ferry "VikingGrace", which became the first of herkind and today uses solely LNG fuelalthough she has dual-fuel machinery.The second is the patrol and coast guardvessel for the Finnish Border"Turva"Guard; Aker Arctic had a key role in itsdesign developing the hull form, themachinery concept as well as performingthe model tests. The third vessel is thenew icebreaker for the Finnish TransportAgency now being built, which will be thefirst LNG-fuelled icebreaker in the world.Aker Arctic in cooperation with ILS andthe Finnish Transport Agency havedeveloped the vessel, made theconceptual design and related modeltesting of the ship.

Challenges with LNGLNG is natural gas in liquefied form witha temperature of -160 C. It is a°colourless, odourless, non-toxic, non-corrosive gas and its main component ismethane, a greenhouse gas with lowerCO emissions compared to other fossil²fuels. It is flammable, but its self-ignitiontemperature is high. The main risks aretherefore fire, cold burns or leakage.With good design and operatingprinciples adopted from gas carriersthese risks can be minimised and anequivalent level of safety as with fuel oilis achieved by using the IMO Guidelinesas a baseline standard. Adequatetraining is also essential.

The main challenge currently is theavailability of LNG, but infrastructure forits supply and distribution is beingplanned in the Baltic Sea area andincreasingly also elsewhere."The use of natural gas as a fuel is apromising and safe option that complies

with upcoming air emission limitationsand thereby preserves our environmentfor future generations. In many recentand on-going projects we are involved in,the LNG fuel option has been taken intoconsideration," Mr Lindholm concludes.

LNG fuel can with today's technologyalso be used for ice-going vessels andicebreakers, which are exposed to fastpower variations.

“Viking Grace” receiving LNG fuel from abunkering ship (Photo: Karl Gabor)

The new dual-fuelled icebreaker for the Finnish Transport Agency. The vessel isunder construction at Arctec Helsinki shipyard and is due service at beginning ofh2016. (Picture: Aker Arctic)

15

September 2014

Optimised friction savesmoney and environment

The effect of hull frictionon ship performance in level ice

Paint APaint BPaint D

Corrodedsteel

Vessel speed

Ice thickness

The hull of an ice-going vesselneeds a protective layer for tworeasons. Firstly to preventcorrosion and secondly tomake the hull smooth, so thatfriction is minimised. We haverecently tested new options forhull protection.

This picture clearly shows the impact on friction betweendifferent hull coatings.

Hull friction affects a ship's performance in ice. The morefriction, the more fuel is needed, which is both expensive andecologically harmful.

About 20-30% of vessels resistance in icecomes from friction between hull and theice. The smoother the hull is, the lessfriction is evident, which saves both moneyand is ecologically important as fuelconsumption is highly related to friction. Acorroded vessel has the most friction inice. In difficult conditions, the differencebetween high- and low-friction coatingscan be the difference between makingprogress and getting stuck.

Different optionsFor the past twenty years, epoxy-basedpaints have been widely used for hullprotection as they offer low friction andgood durability for ice navigation. Usuallysome touch-up painting is done whenships come into dry-dock every five years.

Another option is attaching a compoundlayer of stainless steel to the ice-beltregion of the hull.

"Technically this is a good alternative, butunfortunately it is also expensive.However, in all newer Finnish icebreakersthis protective layer has been chosen andexperiences have been good," tellsStructural Engineer Ville Valtonen.

On a theoretical level, concepts of makingship hulls of stainless steel or aluminiumhave been discussed, but none of thesehave been tested, as stainless steel isexpensive and the strength of analuminium hull in ice navigation has notbeen thoroughly researched.

Recently, new paints for icebreaking hullshave entered the market. Some of thesenew paints differ from the traditionalepoxies and have a good strength.However, it is essential to test the frictionbefore starting to use these new paints.

Friction testing for ice vessels"We have now tested some new paintswith our friction-testing machine, which weuse to test the friction between ice and hullcoatings in wet contact, which is the mostrelevant condition for icebreaker paints.The testing machine has been developedspecially for the job and ice friction hasbeen tested with it already for decades.Comparisons of results with full-scalemeasurements have shown that the labresults are reliable," Mr Valtonen assures.

“Results from our recent tests areconfidential but it is important to note thatthere are substantial differences betweenpaints and therefore it is essential to carryout tests before starting to use somethingnew. Otherwise, unpleasant surprises inice resistance and consequently in fuelconsumption may arise."


16 2

September 2014

Ice ridges are formed under highcompression due to wind or currents. Inthe Baltic Sea, the usual thickness isaround 10-15 metres, but in the ArcticOcean, the maximum recorded keeldepth is over 45 metres. Usually thecross-section of a pressure ridge keelhas a triangular shape with most of thethickness submerged. Therefore areliable estimate of the thickness andwidth based on the visible part cannot bemade making measurements of thesubmerged area necessary. Traditionally,measurements are made by drilling holesin the ridge. This method is both arduousand time consuming and thus newquicker methods for profiling andmeasurements would be beneficial.

Laser and sonar scanningAker Arctic has in cooperation withMeritaito carried out a field measurementresearch project, with the goal being totest and evaluate the applicability of anew method for profiling ice formationsand brash ice channels. This newmethod combines scanning with laserand sonar instruments. Laser scanning isregularly used for measuring the topsurface and has shown to give accurateresults. Different sonar techniques havepreviously been used for detecting theunderwater portion of the ice cover andfor ice ridge measurement, but they haveproven time consuming to analyse due tomultiple reflections of sound pulses andnoise. In this study, a single beamscanning sonar was used and the resultswere compared with measurementsmade by traditional drilling in order toevaluate the feasibility of the scanningmethod.

“All data was collected during a field tripto the Bay of Bothnia last February. Oneice ridge was first measured withtraditional drilling. It was conducted alongthe transverse line of the ridge in order togain a cross-sectional profile," tells IcePhysicist Annu Oikkonen.

"Secondly, the ice ridge was measuredby sonar scanning. A hole was drilled inthe level ice on both sides of the ridgeand the sonar lowered into the water firston one side of the ridge and then on theother side in order to get data of bothsides. The sonar scanner plotimmediately started to report data andthe cross section profile was shown. Inthe drilling method more drill holes arerequired, which takes time."

"Another ice ridge was then measuredwith scanning first and then drilling, afterwhich a comparison of the measurementresults from drilling, sonar and laserscanning was made. Overall, the resultsare fairly compatible. The most prominentdifference between drilling and sonarscanning results can be seen in the areawhere the deepest keel was recorded(figure 3) at the location of 10-11 m in themeasurement line. The discrepancybetween the two methods may resultfrom the drilling causing changes in theshape of the keel. Another importantfinding was the ice drilling result at thelocation 6.5 m. The drilling result wasrecorded as level ice with a thickness of50 cm. Later, sonar scanning showed iceat a depth of nearly 2 metres in the samelocation. Ice drilling results were thenchecked with a longer drill and the sonarrecording was verified. The explanationfor this is that drills used for thick iceridges contain several extensions, which

are added one by one as drillingprogresses. Ice ridges consist of iceblocks and voids, and the generalpractice is to stop drilling when water isencountered for more than one metre.Therefore drilling may sometimes lead toan underestimation of the total thicknessif an empty space is mistaken for thebottom of the ice formation."

ConclusionsIn general, the results from scanning anddrilling methods correspond. A clearadvantage of the new scanning methodis the shorter measurement time and aninstant overview of the ice formation. Thesonar also captured ice blocksunderneath the level ice, which were notobserved in ice drilling. Scanning withlaser and sonar determines more clearlythe location of top and bottom surface ofthe ice ridge.

The advantage of ice drilling is theinformation gained about the internalstructure of an ice ridge.

"For a research trip it would be beneficialto use both methods in gathering icedata. There is much potential in the newmethod and further research should bemade, especially for measuring brash icechannels. We will continue ourcooperation with Meritaito in this area,"Ms Oikkonen assures.

New methods for measuring ice ridgesSea ice ridges are challengingfor winter navigation andoffshore activities in icecovered seas since pressureridges may become ten timesthicker than the initial level ice.Traditional measuring methodsare time consuming and AkerArctic has now tried a newfaster method together withMeritaito in a project funded bythe Winter NavigationResearch Board.

Sonar scanner plotgives instantinformation duringthe measurement.

Results from drilling (bars), laser (top surface, blue dashed line)and sonar (bottom surface, red and purple dashed line).Profiling of ice ridge no 1.

Lowering of sonar scanner under the level icein front of the ice ridge.


18

9thArctic Passion Seminar

Mr Reko-Antti Suojanen, AkerArctic's new ManagingDirector taking over from MrMikko Niini, reviewed AkerArctic's last year and futureplans. Mr Ole Johansson,newly appointed Chairman ofthe Board, shortly addressedAker Arctic's ownershipchanges. After this Mr MattiAnttonen, Undersecretary ofState for External EconomicRelations, Ministry for ForeignAffairs of Finland, opened theday by talking aboutimportance of arcticdevelopment.

Mr Mikko Niini gave the firstkeynote speech about pastideas and innovations andtheir role in technologicalsteps taken in Arcticdevelopment.

Then followed Dr MikhailGrigoriev, GECON, giving anaccount of the current statusof realised and planned Oil &Gas projects on the RussianArctic Offshore.

The Italian Ambassador inFinland, Mr Giorgio Visetticontinued by presenting Italy'scooperation with

Finland in Arctic develop-ments.

IMO's Polar Code and itsimplications for Ship Designand operations werediscussed by Mr AndrewKendrick, Vice President,Operations, STX Marine.

Ice model testing is one of theservices provided by Aker

Arctic. Mr Reko-AnttiSuojanen introduced how itworks and a demonstrationice model test was held for allparticipants.

DNVGL has made a conceptstudy on Arctic shipping in2030. Mr Jan Kvålsvold,Director, Global BusinessDevelopment talked aboutwhat they believe ArcticShipping will look like in thefuture.

He was followed by Mr KajRiska, Ice Engineer, TotalE&P/North Caspian OperatingCompany, telling about thedevelopment of the Kalamkasfield, with particular emphasison ice questions.Mr Kari Laukia, DesignManager, Aker Arctic

Technology, then presentedthe Canadian Coast GuardPolar Icebreaker ShaftlineAnalysis.

The day was concluded withtwo presentations:development for the people ofthe North was discussed byCanadian Trade Commissio-ner Seppo Vihersaari from theEmbassy of Canada toFinland, and then the newicebreaker for the FinnishGovernment was introducedby Captain Jarkko Toivola,Head of Winter NavigationUnit at the Finnish TransportAgency.

All presentations can befound on our websitewww.akerarctic.com.

The annual Aker Arctic Passion Seminar gathersevery March the key persons working in themaritime business from all over the world inHelsinki. One of this year's highlights was theintroduction of Aker Arctic's new ManagingDirector Reko-Antti Suojanen, along with anupdate on current projects and topics in Arcticmaritime business.

17 2

Retired Managing Director MrMikko Niini, Professor JukkaTuhkuri and Mr Tommi Viher-koski sharing views on theArctic technology.

Undersecretary of State Mr MattiAnttonen gave the openingspeech, where he emphasisedthe importance of the Arctic.

Doctor Kaj Riska and Mr JamesBond enjoying the coffee break.


The ice model demonstrationtest showed Aker Arctic'sdesign of an Arctic heavymodule carrier for Yamal LNG.

Mr Ole Johansson, newlyappointed Chairman of theBoard discussing with newManaging Director Mr Reko-Antti Suojanen.

1818 2

The first Oblique icebreaker ever builtwas delivered to the ship operatorGosmorspassluzhba (Russian MarineEmergency Rescue Service) in May2014.

Baltika was tested in extreme conditionswith 3 metres wave height in the Gulf ofFinland last spring before delivery. Theopen water testing surpassed allexpectations.

"All the requirements were met orexceeded greatly and also themovement in high waves was a pleasantsurprise," Chief Designer MikaHovilainen s. The ice cover was notsaythick enough for proper testing of theoblique icebreaking mode so full icetesting is scheduled for next winter.

“We have instrumented the vessel hullfor full-scale measurements. Theintention is to perform long-termmeasurement over several years, whichwill provide valuable information on thedesign loads. This will increase theunderstanding of the behaviour of thisunique concept. The measured data willbe utilised in the design of the Heavy-duty Oblique icebreaker for arctic usemore in detail," Mr Hovilainen adds.

Ice trials of IBS Vitus

Bering last winter

Oblique icebreaker exceeds expectations

Topi Leiviskä, Jukka-Pekka Sallinen and TeemuHeinonen joined on herIBS Vitus Beringregular supply trip between Sakhalin Island andOrlan oil platform on Sea of Okhotsk last winter.The purpose of the trip was to verify theperformance of the icebreaking vessel. Thetests were conducted during the vessel'snormal operations, which is a cost effective waybut may result in challenges in finding good iceconditions for the testing as the vessel is notfree to sail searching for ice.

“Her operational capability inice was verified to meet therequirements and sheperformed all planned taskssuccessfully on the area ofoperations. IBS Vitus Beringis an offshore supply andstandby vessel and worksmost of the time in brokenice," says Topi Leiviskä,Manager of Research andTesting services.

The vessel was constructedat Arctech Helsinki Shipyardand delivery took place inDecember 2012.

Trials were conducted inwinter 2014 and give us oncemore an important referenceand the possibility to verifyfull-scale measurementsagainst the model test results.

Arctic Passion News No 8 September 2014P

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19


Team Arctic Finland creates business opportunities

for Finnish companiesTeam Arctic Finland is a newcooperation model focusing oncreating new businessopportunities in the Arcticmarket for Finnish companies.The program consists of 14large companies and iscoordinated by the Federationof Finnish TechnologyIndustries. At the moment,Team Arctic is developingconcrete concepts andinternational market initiativesthat will be used to approachinternational investors and

corporations responsible forArctic projects. According tostudies, the total value of theArctic market from now untilthe year 2020 is approximately240 billion euros.

“The Arctic region will need awide variety of services andsolutions in addition totraditional transport and ice-breaking services," says theprogram's leader Merja Salmi-Lindgren from the Federationof Finnish TechnologyIndustries.

The companies in Team Arctichave technologies, expertiseand references from Arcticbusiness ventures. Therefore,Team Arctic gathers a clusterof reliable Finnish companiesthat can put together largeconcepts, provide services tobig international clients andget challenging commissionsin the Arctic region, taking intoaccount the requirements ofsustainable development.

Team Arctic consists of theFederation of FinnishTechnology Industries, GaiaConsulting, Aker ArcticTechnology, Arctia Shipping,Boskalis-Terramare, ESLShipping, Fortum, the FinnishMeteorological Institute,Konecranes, Lamor,Pemamek, Rolls-RoyceMarine, Rautaruukki, STXCabins Finland, STX Finlandand Technip Offshore Finland.

The world's first LNG-fuelledicebreaker, designed by AkerArctic, is now underconstruction at ArctechHelsinki Shipyard for theFinnish Transport Agency.

We are actively involved inthe building process togetherwith the owner and theshipyard. According to theschedule, delivery is plannedfor winter 2016.

Aker Arctic works activelytogether with researchorganisations. One of itsclosest partners locally isAalto University."Aalto University is world-renowned for developing theDiscrete Element Method(DEM) and Finite ElementMethod (FEM) to model icebehaviour in nature. WithDEM and FEM analysis, theeffect of different variables onice interaction with marinestructures, for instance, canbe studied effectively. We arepromoting this scientificdevelopment work andinvestigating possibilities tocombine ice model testingwith these analyses in orderto provide added value for ourcustomers in the future,"

Project Manager SamiSaarinen says.

Additionally, there are newplans for cooperation with themodel testing facility at AaltoUniversity."Model testing in our ownbasin is very popular and wecan see benefits of combiningthe strengths of both basins.Aalto University in Otaniemihas an ice model-testingbasin, which is large andsquare in shape. This combi-nation will provide greatpossibilities to serve ourclients with more capabilityand unique tests, for examplemanoeuvring, ice manage-ment tests and other opera-tional testing," Topi Leiviskä,Manager for Research andTesting service, adds.

Cooperation with

Aalto University

Example of DEM/FEM simulation showing deformation patternsof an ice ridge in a punch-through test. Photo: Arttu Polojärvi,Aalto University

Chinese polar research

icebreaker advances

The new highly advanced polar researchicebreaker for the Polar Research Instituteof China has now reached the basicdesign stage.

The conceptual design and ice model testswere completed last year and the detailsof the functional requirements have beenfine-tuned.

The vessel is intended mainly for researchand logistics tasks in Antarctica, whereChina has three permanent researchstations.

"The next step is to choose the mainequipment suppliers for the main engines,electric propulsion and automation system,and then the basic design process canbe completed," Project and DesignManager Kari Laukia says.

First LNG-fuelled icebreaker

Aker Arc 130

under construction

20

SMM Hamburg

9-12 September 2014

Arctic Shipping North AmericaSt. Johns 201420-21 October

Sakhalin Oil and GasJusno, Sakhalin24-26 September 2014

Russia Offshore Moscow17-20 February 2015

Aker Arctic Technology Inc’s newsletterPublisher:Aker Arctic Technology IncMerenkulkijankatu 600980 Helsinki, FinlandTel. +358 10 670 2000Fax +358 10 670 [email protected] Reko-Antti Suojanenditor in chief:Texts by CS Communications Oy:Lay-out Kari Selonen:P 4rinted in September 201 by DMP

Meet us here!

We will participate in the following events:

September 2014Arctic Passion News No 8 September 2014Arctic Passion News No 8

Last August, Aker ArcticTechnology's staff enjoyed aday of sports and fun togetherin sunny Helsinki.

The day began with a healthybreakfast, as our coach for theday gave us a lecture abouthow to move and exercise andtake care of our physicalcondition. Then we all went fora two-hour Nordic walking tourby the seaside in beautifulweather. Nordic walking is asport, which has gained inpopularity during the last tenyears, as it is suitable forpersons of all ages. Rapidwalking with sticks in thehands exercises the entirebody, and the outdoor activityincreases oxygen intake andrelaxes the mind.

After lunch and a lecture aboutbusiness dress, we couldchoose either kayaking aroundthe nearby islands or a roundof crazy golf.

The latter was a playful golftournament suitable even forbeginners.

The sporting activities endedwith a game of FastScoopwhere the design team took onthe other staff. The designteam won the game.

No Finnish summer event iscomplete without a sauna,which felt wonderful in order torelax the muscles and calmdown after the sports andgames.

We ended the day with abarbeque dinner andcelebrated Mr KaunoSarkkinen, who recentlyreached the age of 60!

As part of our newemployee training, a six-month customerrelationship- trainingprogramme was arrangedtogether with Mercuri. Aftersuccessfully completingthe programme, agraduation ceremony washeld in August.

In total, twelve employeeshave been participating in thetraining programme for thepast six months. Sessionshave been held once amonth, which have includedboth theory and practicalexercises.

"A special focus has been onhow to create trust in acustomer relationship, how todeepen a customerrelationship more towardspartnership, and how topackage our know-how tobest support our clients'needs. An important elementhas also been how to takecorrective action if somethinggoes wrong in a project,"Sales and Marketing ManagerArto Uuskallio explains.

Positive feedbackParticipants have beenpositive about the trainingprogramme.

"In the beginning I was a bitsceptical, but as theprogramme moved on, Inoticed how I could use theacquired knowledge inpractice. All in all, I found thetraining both interesting anduseful," Project EngineerTuomas Romu recalls."Prior to the training I had notworked much in sales, so Ifound particularly useful thecustomer interface trainingand learning how I cansupport sales in my role as aproject engineer. I believe thiswill help me in my futuretasks."

According to Anders Mård,Project Engineer andresponsible for IT, theprogram was great and thetopics were important,especially all the subjectsrelated to sales, supportingsales, negotiation proceduresand customer relations."Many examples werepractical and from theshipbuilding industry, whichtaught us things useful in ourdaily work. It was also good tolearn how satisfied AkerArctic's customers are withour achievements."

Customer relationship training graduation

Exercising together is fun

Kayaking around nearby islandswas a beautiful experience.

Aker Arctic staff ready for aNordic walking tour by the

seaside.

FastScoop was a newgame for many of us.

Kauno Sarkkinen enjoyingthe sunshine.

Arctic Passion SeminarHelsinki, March 2015

ATC Copenhagen23-25 March 2015

OTC Houston4-7 May 2015

passion 2 2014 - aker arctic · regardless of changing tides. additionally, we had to take into...

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