In 1994, Aker Arctic, the design and testing laboratory now under Finnish state control, asked its engineers to tackle the problem of getting Russian oil out of the Baltic Sea in thick winter ice. It took nearly 20 years for the concept to be realised, but the winning team came up with an idea that combines so many features the resulting vessel easily lives up to its multifunctional label. Baltika is a showcase of Finnish polar shipbuilding innovation, based on Aker's ARC 100 design that applied for its ice breaking patent in 1997 and oil spill one in 2004, though testing and development continued until the first order from the Russian Ministry of Transport in 2011. Baltika's asymmetric hull shape is central to its capabilities, with both sides having different forms to perform their specific tasks: starboard side is vertical and straight, ideal for oil-spill recovery side-on (bow-first) with the hull acting as a boom with a side door opening to guide surface pollution for separation by Lamor's in-built Oil Recovery System. Oil is recovered at 520m~3/hour at 4kt by a conveyor brush system and removed to a holding tank. These figures are certificated by Bureau Veritas for year-round Arctic and offshore conditions.
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