Spain's Gondan Shipbuilders has begun conducting sea trials of Vilja, a new hybrid icebreaking escort tug ordered by the Port of Luleå in Sweden.
The Robert Allan Ltd-designed 36-metre-long vessel has a hull structure that exceeds Finnish-Swedish ice class rules and will be capable of breaking one metre of ice at a speed of three knots. Its hybrid propulsion system includes two main diesel engines and shaft generators/motors and batteries for energy storage.
Vilja will have secondary firefighting and navigations aids service capabilities in addition to escort, ship assist, and coastal towing.
