Due to the mild start to this winter, the first of Finland’s eight large icebreakers did not begin work until New Year's Eve – almost two weeks later than the previous year and considerably later than the long-term average.
The 2024–25 icebreaking season was also mild and relatively short, lasting just 153 days, according to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, which is responsible for icebreaking.
The state-owned firm Arctia owns and operates the eight large icebreakers, which are docked off-season alongside Helsinki’s Katajanokka island. Besides these, there are two other icebreakers in Finland. This past week, the third Arctia icebreaker set off for the Bothnian Bay.
Shorter season, shrinking ice cover
With average winter temperatures having risen by 2-3 degrees Celsius since the 1960s, the impact of climate change on icebreaking is already plainly visible. For example, winter shipping assistance is rarely needed anymore in the Gulf of Finland, off the country’s south coast.
According to Arctia Business Director Paavo Kojonen, the ice season is shortening at both ends, while the average ice coverage in the Baltic Sea has decreased.
"Climate change also means extreme conditions, i.e. very warm winters with very little ice, when little icebreaking assistance is needed. But it will also likely bring extreme phenomena at the other end," he told the Finnish news agency STT.
Climate change brings new challenges
"The winters are windier these days, which makes icebreaking more difficult. When an ice mass starts moving, at some point it hits a shore or shallow water and starts to pile up," Kojonen explained.
Kojonen said that while in the past ice fields were typically 60–80 centimetres thick, now may there be ice masses as thick as 10 metres in some spots.
"Icebreaker captains say that winters are getting harder all the time," Kojonen added.
During an average winter, there are six Arctia icebreakers at sea, ensuring that Finnish exports and imports keep flowing.
"We’ll need at least this number of icebreakers for the next few decades. The cost of icebreakers to society is quite small compared to the problems if foreign trade does not work. There’s no replacement capacity available from around the world during severe ice winters," Kojonen said.
Finland is one of the world’s largest producers of icebreakers, and recently signed a deal to provide up to 11 such vessels to the US.
Mikko Suominen, an associate professor at Aalto University, points out that the changing nature of shipping will also maintain the need for icebreakers, even as winters become milder. That is partly due to regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2013, aimed at reducing ship emissions.
"Ships are becoming more optimised for open water. That means more transport capacity and less power. Their ability to navigate in ice is significantly lower than current ships, so it may increase the need for icebreakers," Suominen pointed out.
Pension-age ships
The first vessel to sail to the Bay of Bothnia this winter, the Voima, is already over 70 years old. Its replacement, with the working name Aino, is to be delivered in September 2029, said Unit Manager Helena Orädd from the Transport Infrastructure Agency. The European Commission has granted 42 million euros in support for the project.
Two other Arctia icebreakers, Urho and Sisu, are 50 years, which has been considered the maximum age for such vessels.
"They’re in good working condition for their age and still work properly even in harsh conditions. But it’ll soon be time to replace them, too," said Suominen.
