Vessel designed by Stirling Design International and Aker Arctic will be built by Vard
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
French cruise line Ponant has ordered an electric hybrid icebreaker, propelled by liquified natural gas (LNG), the first of its kind, for polar expeditions.
The vessel, Ponant Icebreaker, has been jointly designed by Stirling Design International and icebreaker specialists Aker Arctic, and will be built by Vard, Fincantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary.
Other suppliers include Wärtsilä, for dual fuel diesel engines, LNG fuel storage provider GTT and Azipod Units supplier ABB.
The vessel will have 135 staterooms and a glassed arch located on the upper deck, offering guests views of the ship environment on all sides. The vessel will be ‘Clean Ship’ certified and environmentally friendly and will take passengers to destinations including the North Pole, the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea and Peter I Island.
The new ship will join the Ponant fleet in 2021.