Finland orders new icebreaker from Helsinki shipyard

Credit: Tuomas Romu and Arctia Ltd.

Helsinki Shipyard has won a contract to build Finland’s next icebreaker, Splash 247 reported. The 96-meter vessel, named Aino, will replace the 1954-built Voima. Construction is planned to start in 2027, with delivery scheduled for September 2029. Sata Shipbuilding in Pori will produce the steel and ship blocks, while final assembly will take place in Helsinki.

Aino will have 10.5 MW of propulsion power and will be able to open a 25-meter-wide channel through ice. The vessel will mainly support commercial shipping to Finnish ports during the winter.

The contract value has not been disclosed. The project has received €42 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility.

The order is part of Finland’s programme to renew its ageing icebreaker fleet. Helsinki Shipyard is also building the hull of Canada’s Polar Max and is working on icebreakers for the US Coast Guard.

Global News

Related Maritime News

Canadian Icebreaker Reaches North Pole in Major Arctic Mission

Canada’s largest icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, reached the North Pole on August 16 during its 2026 Arctic mission, Maritime Executive reports. The vessel is collecting scientific data to help Canada map the limits of its continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

MSC Tests Suez Route as Container Lines Return

Container shipping is slowly returning to the Suez Canal as major carriers reassess the security risks in the Red Sea. The Maritime Executive reports that MSC is the latest major carrier to test the route.

Maersk May End Containership Fleet Capacity Limit

A.P. Moller - Maersk may move away from its long-standing containership fleet limit as CEO Vincent Clerc prepares the company for further fleet growth, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

For years, Maersk kept its fleet capacity around 4m-4.4m TEU. New vessels mainly replaced older ships. But the company has now moved well above that level.

Grimaldi Welcomes Grande Pacifico, Its Biggest Car Carrier Yet

Grimaldi Group has a new flagship ship. According to The Maritime Telegraph, the company just received MV Grande Pacifico. It is now the largest car-carrying ship (PCTC) in Grimaldi's fleet. The ship was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu. It is the first of five new sister ships.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Add Jeddah to Returning Suez Service

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are expanding their return to the Red Sea by adding Jeddah to the AE15 service under the Gemini Cooperation. The Maritime Telegraph reports that the new call will restore a direct connection with Saudi Arabia while security risks in the region remain high.

DP World Unit Buys Transworld’s Largest Ship

Transworld Shipping Lines has agreed to sell its largest containership, SSL Brahmaputra, to DP World-controlled Avana Logistek for $11.4m, according to Splash 247.

The 4,250-TEU vessel was built in 2003 and joined the Shreyas fleet in 2017 after being acquired as Queens Quay. Renamed SSL Brahmaputra, it became the company’s largest containership at the time.