Fincantieri has announced the delivery of the oceanographic icebreaker Kronprins Haakon to the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, a Norwegian governmental body for oceanographic research and fishing.

After the completion of the building process at Fincantieri’s integrated shipyards of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, the vessel sailed to Norway for the performance of the final tests and preparation for the delivery from the Vard shipyard at Langsten.

With a gross tonnage of 9,000 tons, the vessel is more than 100 meters long, 21 meters wide, and has a speed up to 15 knots. According to Fincantieri, the Kronprins Haakon is able to move on independently through ice up to one meter thick. She is built according to criteria that ensure minimum environmental impact and reduced radiation of noise underwater, so as to allow studies on fish and marine mammals. Furthermore, the vessel will be able to carry out oceanographic and hydrographic research activities in any area of operation.

The vessel is able to accommodate 55 people in 38 cabins – research personnel, students and crew – and is fitted out with the highest standards of comfort for passenger ships. At the bow, a hangar can accommodate two helicopters and is equipped with complex instrumentation able to investigate the morphology and geology of the seabed.

The shipbuilder stated that the sensors and the equipment represent the state-of-the-art technology and guarantee a very high flexibility in performing different scientific tasks, allowing the vessel to also carry out geology, geophysics, chemistry and seismology studies. The vessel will carry out missions on a global scale and will be used to study the modalities and consequences of climate change in the Arctic environment.

Kronprins Haakon represents an important technical result for Fincantieri, achieved thanks to the various specific know-how developed by the company in the different high-added-value sectors in which it operates, such as naval vessels, submarines, cruise ships and special vessels.