Keppel Singmarine - Ice-Class Vessels

In 2008, Keppel Singmarine broke into the Arctic market. Working closely with Finnish designers ILS OY, it successfully delivered the first pair of icebreakers to be built in the tropics of Asia to LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft (LUKOIL).

Built in compliance with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping's standard, the two icebreakers, Varandey and Toboy, are capable of cutting through solid ice over 1.5 metres thick and operating in extreme temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius.

To brave the challenges of this subzero environment, Keppel-designed integrated diesel electric propulsion system was incorporated into the vessels to improve their operating efficiency. In addition, the vessels are tailored strictly to the "Clean Design" and "Zero Discharge" standards to help mitigate the impact of icebreaking operations on the Arctic eco-system.

Varandey and Toboy are currently operating in the Barents Sea of Russia, paving the way for ships to sail through ice-blocked seas, and assisting the manoeuvring, mooring and loading of tankers. The vessels' versatility is also of great value as it allows them to participate in fire fighting, emergency rescue operations, towing and supplies provision on the frozen terrain.

Delivered to LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft on time and within budget, Yuri Korchagin became the first ice-class Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel to be completed and deployed in the Caspian region.

The vessel is able to withstand ice conditions of minus 20 degrees Celsius and cut through ice as thick as 0.6 metres. It is meant for uninterrupted services in receiving crude oil from a fixed ice-resistant platoform (IFP-1) through single buoy mooring system, storage of oil onboard and finally offloading of oil to shuttle tankers.

The four ice-class AHTS/rescue vessels, Svetlyy, Vzmorye, Kogalym and Langepas, built for LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft, are deployed in the Caspian Sea region.

They perform supply duty and rescue operations in temperatures as low as -20°C and ice thickness of up to 70 cm.