New ice-breaker for Japan

?Shirase?, a new ice-breaker, has arrived at its homeport in Yokosuka where Japan?s Maritime Self-Defence Force has a base. At 12,650 tonnes, the ‘Shirase’ has a length of 138m, a beam of 28m and has state-of-the-art ice-breaking capabilities.

Built at the Universal Shipbuilding yard in Maizuru at a cost of 37.6 billion yen, the newbuilding is powered by four diesel electric gensets enabling it to sail at 3 knots through ice up to 1.5m thick. It uses seawater to clear the snow on the ice allowing it to move smoothly for better fuel-efficiency and has a double-walled fuel tank to prevent leaks.

?Shirase? is Japan?s fourth ice-breaker for Antarctic expeditions and is scheduled to depart on its first voyage in November with an expedition team of 51 to Antarctica.

She replaces the slightly smaller, 1983 built, ‘Shirase’.