A new chapter in Arctic towage begins as Victoria, a newly delivered ice-class tugboat built by Damen Shipyards, has entered service in the Swedish port of Luleå. This marks a significant milestone not only for the port, but also for Steerprop, a leading provider of advanced propulsion systems for demanding marine environments, as it represents the first deployment of its efficient and reliable Steerprop CRP (Contra-Rotating Propeller) azimuth propulsors in the tugboat segment.

Victoria is the first vessel in Damen’s new Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug 3413 ICE design — a class purpose-built for Arctic operations. Designed to deliver consistent performance in ice-covered waters, the tug is equipped with two Steerprop SP 60 CRP ECO propulsors, each rated at 3,700 kW and certified to 1A Super ice class. These advanced propulsion units combine pushing and pulling propellers within a single system, delivering superior maneuverability, ice performance, and energy efficiency in both harsh ice conditions and open water.

“GATEWAY TO THE ARCTIC”
Located on the northern Gulf of Bothnia, the Port of Luleå is Sweden’s “gateway to the Arctic.” With increasing cargo traffic and occasional cruise ship visits, its operational requirements demand reliable, high-performance tugs capable of year-round service. The new Damen tug meets this challenge, designed to maintain 8 knots through 1.1 meter thick floe ice or 3 knots through 1.1 meter first-year level ice — a benchmark in Arctic harbor operations.

“This vessel, our second ice-class project with Damen and the first to feature Steerprop CRP propulsors was driven by the customer’s need for exceptional ice performance in the most demanding Arctic conditions,” says Juho Rekola, Director of Sales and Project Management at Steerprop. “They needed a propulsion solution they could rely on to operate efficiently and safely through heavy ice. Our CRP technology offered not only advanced engineering, but a purpose-built answer to their specific operational challenge. The result is a vessel designed from the keel up for robust, year-round Arctic service.”

HAS LONG BEEN PROVEN
Steerprop’s CRP technology has long been proven in high ice-class offshore vessels and icebreakers worldwide. By using two smaller contra-rotating propellers instead of a single large one, the system minimizes rotational losses and improves propulsion efficiency. With optimized blade ratios, pitch, and rotational speed, Steerprop CRP ECO propulsors deliver a 10–17% improvement in net thrust. An enhanced lubrication concept further contributes to increased efficiency and long-term operational reliability.

The ASD Tug 3413 ICE is engineered for versatility and performance, achieving a maximum speed of 14.1 knots and a bollard pull of 72.8 tonnes ahead and 68.5 tonnes astern. The 34-meter-long, 13-meter-wide tugs were built at Damen’s Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

With Victoria now in service, the project not only strengthens the operational capacity of Sweden’s northernmost port but also confirms Steerprop’s CRP ECO propulsors as a groundbreaking solution for the next generation of Arctic-capable tugboats.