LAstrolabe is a French icebreaker that is used to bring personnel and supplies to the Dumont d'Urville Station in Antarctica. The vessel, built by Chantiers Piriou and delivered in September 2017, replaced the 1986-built vessel of the same name.

Development and construction

In June 2015, the Ministry of Overseas France awarded the construction of a 50 million Euro polar logistics vessel to the Chantiers Piriou from Concarneau in Brittany. The vessel, based on a concept developed by French naval architecture company Marine Assistance, combines the functions of the two existing French ships it replaced: the 1966-built patrol vessel L'Albatros and the 1986-built icebreaker L'Astrolabe. The new vessel is owned and operated by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) administration, the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) and the French Navy.

Since Chantiers Piriou had no experience of building an ice-going vessel, the French shipyard joined forces with the Finnish engineering company Aker Arctic in order to be able to bid against foreign shipyards such as the German Nordic Yards.Piriou construira le successeur de l'Albatros et de L'Astrolabe. Mer et Marine, 10 June 2015. Later, Aker Arctic was also chosen to carry out basic design and ice model testing for the vessel.Aker Arctic and PIRIOU shipyard have signed a contract for the basic design for a Polar Logistics Vessel . Aker Arctic.

Since the Chantiers Piriou shipyard was fully booked with ship orders from the French Navy, the construction of the hull was subcontracted to a Polish shipyard. The production of the vessel began on 16 December at CRIST in Gdynia, Poland. On 22 December 2016, approximately one year later, the vessel was floated out from the dry dock. The unfinished vessel was then towed to France for final outfitting.La construction de l'Astrolabe a débuté. Mer et Marine, 6 January 2016. The ship, which was given the name LAstrolabe after her predecessor on 12 July, was delivered in September 2017.

Career

LAstrolabe was deployed in the Indian Ocean in 2017, and carried out her first resupply mission to the Dumont d'Urville Station in Adélie Land, Antarctica, in 2018.

In November 2019, a major defect in the ship's propeller forced LAstrolabe to cancel the resupply mission to France's Antarctic research stations. French expeditioners, cargo and supplies will instead be carried on the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis which was made available by the Australian Antarctic Division.

In spring 2021 the ship engaged in a surveillance and fisheries patrol mission around the Scattered Islands and Mayotte to monitor the French Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). In September 2021 the ship docked at the BAE Systems Shipyard near Fremantle, Western Australia for some out of water repairs.

In June 2024, the ship conducted a patrol in waters of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, including delivering personnel for rotation to Tromelin Island.

L'astrolabe is owned by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) and operated and maintained by the French Navy.

Design

LAstrolabe is long and , making the new vessel somewhat larger than her predecessor. The vessel can carry 1,200tons of cargo and has accommodation for up to 60 personnel, which includes the crew of the vessel. She can also accommodate a helicopter belowdecks.PIRIOU - PLV DE 72 M EN CONSTRUCTION . PIRIOU, 6 January 2016. Basic design agreement for French polar logistics vessel. Arctic Passion News 2/2015.

The vessel is powered by four Wärtsilä 8L20 medium-speed diesel engines driving two stainless steel controllable pitch propellers.L'ASTROLABE P 800 IMO.9797539. Bateaux-Fecamp. She is also fitted with selective catalytic reduction units to reduce NOx emissions and comply with IMO Tier III emission regulations. New support icebreaker in Antarctic featuring Wärtsilä propulsion machinery. Wärtsilä, 23 November 2015.

LAstrolabe is classified by Bureau Veritas. Her ice class, Icebreaker 5, means that she is allowed to operate independently in medium first-year-ice up to thick during the summer and autumn and up to thick during the winter and spring. The vessel is also allowed to ram ice at a speed of , but the ramming shall not be repeated if the ice does not fail at the first attempt.Rules for the Classification of POLAR CLASS and ICEBREAKER Ships. Bureau Veritas, April 2013.

References