GF Piping Systems supplies custom thermoplastic piping solutions for the world’s largest diesel-electric icebreaker

To ensure that its icebreaker Oden continues to operate at the highest level, the Swedish Maritime Administration decided to replace the steel pipes of the ship's jet thrusters with a complete solution by GF Piping Systems. Extensive engineering services enabled a cost-efficient retrofit with 200 meters of DN1000 thermoplastic piping components.   
 

As one of the most powerful non-nuclear vessels of its type, the Oden is active throughout the Baltic Sea during winter. For the rest of the year, it serves as a research platform for Swedish polar expeditions in the Arctic. To meet the high operational demands, the Oden was designed to be highly maneuverable thanks to features like a square bow, a specific hull shape, and oversized rudders. In addition, the ship uses jet thrusters to spray high-pressure water onto the ice to reduce friction at the bow, which increases the ship's energy efficiency. Originally, the jet thrusters relied on a steel piping system to handle the high flow rates and pressures for this process. However, due to corrosion issues, replacing the system once and for all became necessary.
 

GF Piping Systems supplied 200 meters of DN1000 piping made of HDPE, 100 electrofusion fittings, and couplers made of PE100. Due to the tight spaces on board, using standard components was impossible, so GF Piping Systems provided engineering support to create a custom solution. In addition to the dimensioning of the pipes, this also required services such as a feasibility study, pipe stress analyses, hydraulic calculations, and analyses of flow characteristics and energy consumption.
 

Despite the tight spaces onboard the Oden and the system's complexity, the retrofit was completed by 14 installers in 2,000 hours, making it more cost-efficient than metal. The thermoplastic pipes are corrosion-free and, therefore, have a longer expected service life compared to metal, while smooth inner surfaces allow the same flow volume as metal pipes in larger dimensions. At the same time, GF Piping Systems' engineering services have contributed to the safe and reliable operation of the jet thruster system.