According to Wikipedia “ An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships […]. For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most normal ships lack: a strengthened hull, an ice-clearing shape, and the power to push through sea ice.“
It is precisely this last trait where Alconza comes into play, accumulating a great deal of experience in electric propulsion for this type of vessel, having taken part in building fourteen of the largest icebreakers currently operating around the world, many of which are part of the Russian fleet. Some of these large icebreakers are: Novorossiysk, Múrmansk, Vladivostok, Akademik Thryosnikov, Varandei…
This type of vessel normally requires low-speed solutions with special configurations, like tandem-type or monoblock, certified by the main certification entities.
In all of these projects the shipowners request ECI requirements, of which Alconza has a deep knowledge and experience, applied in the design and manufacturing of their products. Alconza also supplies, mostly high voltage, electric generators for this type of vessel.
The Arctic Ocean has become a large competitive area in the global geopolitical scene. In fact, the current North American administration is advocating the construction of new icebreakers in the coming years, given that, in their opinion, the reduction of the icecap will enable new commercial routes, as well as the possibility of exploiting the underwater resources in the Arctic Sea, covered by the icecap until now.
In spite of not being exactly icebreakers, Alconza has broad experience in research ships that operate in frozen waters and require these type of specifications, having taken part in large projects like Sir David Attenborough (United Kingdom), Kroprings Haakon (Norway) or a new support vessel for the Chilean Navy, currently under construction.
Not only does Alconza offer their clients new equipment, but through their Customer Service division, they also provide end-to-end, flexible solutions for their full range of generators and engines, offering technical support, maintenance, parts and training during the whole Life Cycle of their products. With a very experienced team of qualified technicians, the objective is to provide Customer Satisfaction and Continuous Improvement in their products and services, using the latest diagnostics equipment and providing international coverage.