Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched Kronprins Haakon, an oceanographic icebreaker being built for the Norwegian government, at its shipyard in Muggiano.

The 9,000 gross ton newbuilding is expected to be delivered by the end of 2017.

Featuring a length of 100 meters and a width of 21 meters, the ship will be able to accommodate 55 passengers.

Designed by Rolls-Royce Marine, Kronprins Haakon will have a cruise speed of 15 knots and will be able to move on independently through ice thick up to one meter and with particular silence requirements to avoid disturbing the sea environment, the shipbuilder said.

The icebreaker’s hangar at the bow will have two helicopters and the unit will be equipped with instrumentation able to investigate the morphology and geology of the seabed, according to Fincantieri.

The Norwegian Polar Institute will be the shipowner, while the vessel will be used by the same institute and by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), the Norwegian governmental body for oceanographic research and fishing, as well as by the University of Tromsø.

Image Courtesy: Fincantieri