New ice class tug for Sweden’s gateway to the Arctic features Steerprop CRP propulsors

The ice-class tugboat Victoria is equipped with two Steerprop SP 60 CRP ECO propulsors, each rated at 3,700 kW and certified to 1A Super ice class. [Photo: Port of Luleå]

Victoria, a newly delivered ice-class tugboat built by Damen Shipyards, has entered service in the Swedish port of Luleå, located on the northern Gulf of Bothnia and known as Sweden’s “gateway to the Arctic.” This marks a significant milestone not only for the port, but also for propulsion specialist Steerprop, marking the first deployment of its 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.

With increasing cargo traffic and occasional cruise ship visits, the Port of Luleå‘s 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.”

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, CRP ECO propulsors deliver a 10–17% improvement in net thrust., notes Steerprop. An enhanced lubrication concept further contributes to increased efficiency and long-term operational reliability.