On August 19, Helsinki Shipyard—a subsidiary of the Canadian shipbuilding group Davie—was awarded a contract by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency to build one icebreaker, with a total budget of approximately 170 million euros (approximately $199 million).
The vessel will be named “Aino” and is scheduled to begin construction in 2027 and be delivered in September 2029, at which time it will replace Finland’s current Class B icebreaker, the “Voima”, which is 70 years old.
The icebreaker “Aino”, developed by Railotech (formerly Aker Arctic) specifically for the changing ice conditions of the Baltic Sea, is 96 meters long. With a moderately sized hull and a B+ ice class design (positioned between Finland’s large A-class icebreakers and traditional B-class icebreakers), it can clear a 25-meter-wide channel and has a propulsion power of 10.5 megawatts.
This vessel type is not only optimized for smooth, thick ice but also emphasizes maneuverability in broken ice and dense pack ice, operational capability at the ice edge under wind and wave conditions, and the ability to move quickly between different operational areas.
A representative from Helsinki Shipyard commented on the order, stating: “This shipbuilding contract is a natural continuation of Helsinki Shipyard’s long history of icebreaker construction; the ‘Voima’, which the ‘Aino’ will replace upon delivery, was also built by the same shipyard.”
According to related news reports, both major shipbuilding contracts awarded to Davie will be constructed at Helsinki Shipyard.
In 2025, Davie was awarded a C$3.25 billion shipbuilding contract by the Canadian Coast Guard to design and build the “Polar Max”, one of the world’s most powerful conventional heavy-duty icebreakers. Hull construction is underway at Helsinki Shipyard, with final assembly to be completed in Quebec, Canada; delivery is scheduled for 2030.
In 2026, Davie signed a $3.5 billion contract with the U.S. Coast Guard to build five polar security icebreakers. Helsinki Shipyard and Davie’s Texas facility will build two and three vessels, respectively, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in 2028.
As previously reported, Davie completed the acquisition of Helsinki Shipyard in late 2023.