Oceanographic Icebreaker Delivered
Kronprins Haakon, the oceanographic icebreaker which will operate in in the polar waters and which was built by Fincantieri for the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), the Norwegian governmental body for oceanographic research and fishing, was delivered in recent days in the Norwegian yard of Vard Langsten.
After the completion of the building process at Fincantieri’s Integrated shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, the vessel sailed to Norway for the performance of the final tests and preparation for the delivery. With a gross tonnage of 9,000t, more than 100m long, 21m wide and a speed up to 15 knots, she is able to move on independently through ice thick up to one meter. She is built according to criteria that ensure minimum environmental impact and reduced radiation of noise underwater, so as to allow studies on fish and marine mammals. Furthermore, the vessel will be able to carry out oceanographic and hydrographic research activities in any area of operation.
The vessel is able to accommodate 55 people in 38 cabins and is fitted out with the highest standards of comfort for passenger ships. At the bow, the hangar is able to accommodate two helicopters and is equipped with complex instrumentation able to investigate the morphology and geology of the seabed. The sensors and the equipment represent the state-of-the-art technology and guarantee a very high flexibility in performing different scientific tasks, allowing the vessel to carry on also geology, geophysics, chemistry and seismology studies. The vessel will carry out missions on a global scale and will be used to study the modalities and consequences of climate change in the Arctic environment. Kronprins Haakon represents an important technical result for Fincantieri, achieved thanks to the various specific know-how developed by the company in the different high-added-value sectors in which it operates, such as naval vessels, submarines, cruise ships and special vessels.