Poland's Remontowa Shipbuilding handed over two new icebreakers in a series to the Regional Water Management Authority in Szczecin on Friday, September 10.
Sister vessels Ocelot and Tarpan are scheduled to commence icebreaking operations next winter on a segment of the Oder River that straddles the Polish-German border. Their shallow draught of only 1.4 metres will enable them to easily navigate the Oder.
The vessels also each have a wheelhouse that can be hydraulically lowered to enable sailings underneath low bridges. Power is provided by Caterpillar main diesel engines.
The new icebreakers were acquired for a total cost of approximately PLN30 million (US$7.8 million). They will replace the water management authority's older icebreakers that have been in service for over 50 years.