Norway to build new modern icebreaker

According to an Aug. 27 report in the Barents Observer the Norwegian government has decided to fund the construction of a new icebreaker for the Norwegian Coast Guard. The new vessel will replace an existing 30-year-old vessel and, with a cost somewhere in the range of $82 million to $164 million, will be the most expensive vessel the Norwegian government has ever ordered, the Barents Observer said.

“The situation in the north is changing constantly. To meet the new challenges, we must be as well-equipped as possible. Therefore the government has decided to include in the state budget the construction of a new helicopter-carrying and ice-strengthened vessel planned to be delivered in 2016,” said Norwegian Minister of Defense Anne-Grete Storm-Erichsen in announcing the icebreaker decision.

Strom-Erichsen said that it is important that Norway have a vessel that can meet the challenges associated with the expectations of stakeholders such as fisheries, aquaculture and the petroleum industry while meeting requirements for environmental protection.

“We must watch and preferably stay ahead technologically,” she said.

—Alan Bailey