South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred company to lead the design and construction of a state-of-the-art research icebreaker to strengthen South Korea’s scientific presence in the polar regions.
The polar icebreaker research vessel
The award, announced July 1 by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, marks the start of a project led in conjunction with the Korea Polar Research Institute(KOPRI). The new vessel will enter the design phase later this month, with completion estimated for December 2029, representing a leap from the Araon, the first Korean icebreaker built in 2009.
With a gross tonnage of 16,560 tons and the ability to navigate in both directions through ice up to 1.5 meters thick, the Polar Class 3(PC3) icebreaker will be powered by a dual liquefied natural gas system, a technologya technology designed to reduce emissions and operate efficiently in extreme environments down to -45 °C.
This vessel will include specialized laboratories, polar communication facilities and living spaces with comfort levels comparable to those of a modern cruise ship. In other words, it will allow scientific teams to maintain prolonged operations at high latitudes.
Since 2008, Hanwha Ocean has been developing icebreakers in anticipation of the opening of Arctic routes and the growing demand for polar logistics. The company has built more than 20 icebreaking LNG carriers, and its experience will be important in realizing this new model of scientific mission-oriented vessel.
The Arctic is becoming a center of strategic interest for its resources and new routes. In this context, Hanwha Ocean is participating in a national project to design a polar class 2 icebreaker, with capabilities to operate year-round in extreme latitudes.
Follow us on social networks and don’t miss any of our publications!
YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
Source and photo: Hanwha
