Solarglide are proud to announce that they have won an order to fit 58 cassetted bridge solar screens to the Almirante Viel. This particular ship is the largest icebreaker ship in South America and will be used by the Chilean navy.
Chilean Icebreaker Almirante Viel
Almirante Viel is being built under Project ‘Antártica I’ for $215 million to the VARD 9 203 design from Canadian shipbuilder Vard Marine, a subsidiary of Italian naval shipyard Fincantieri. The spokesperson said it will provide the Chilean Navy with a vessel dedicated to research science in Antarctica, supplying bases, surveillance of the maritime zone, rescue and salvage operations, and that the ship “will be able to accommodate 30 scientists”.
What is an icebreaker? What is its purpose?
As the name suggests, they are specially designed ships that break up the ice to ensure smooth travels for container ships, passenger ships and Arctic cruise ships that can’t break through the ice. Unsurprisingly, icebreakers mostly work in the Arctic Ocean and the Polar regions (the areas that lie between the North or South Pole and the Arctic or Antarctic Circles.)
Solarglide’s ice breaking project
Solarglide will be fitting 58 cassetted bridge solar screens to improve navigation while breaking through the ice as well as limiting glare from the sun and glare reflecting upwards from the ice sheets. Solarglide’s bridge solar screens have been Lloyds Registered Type Approved, this means they have been safety checked and evaluated to meet the required standards. Solar Screens are also fully compliant with SOLAS bridge navigational safety regulations, our solar screens have numerous benefits.
