瑞典上诉法院驳回了一项针对采购新型国有破冰船的申诉。去年6月，瑞典海事局（SMA）将建造该国下一代破冰船的合同授予了韩国现代重工（HHI）。在招标过程中，芬兰赫尔辛基造船厂排名第二，并以招标违规为由提出申诉。行政法院最初支持了授予现代重工的决定，随后赫尔辛基造船厂提起上诉，声称现代重工提交的参考船舶不符合海事局的要求。
在上诉被驳回后，赫尔辛基造船厂发表声明称，尽管对未被选中深感遗憾，但承认法院的裁决。招标要求投标船厂提交三艘不同的参考船舶。现代重工提交的第一艘参考船是其2020年交付的新西兰海军补给舰Aotearoa号，现代重工称该舰具备极地PC 6级等效能力。赫尔辛基造船厂曾对此表示怀疑，称无法在船舶登记册中验证该舰的等级（该舰现已沉没）。
另一个参考项目是要求展示具有特定类型电力推进系统的建造经验。现代重工列举了韩国海军的“东海”号多用途护卫舰作为其技术实力的证明。随着法院最终确认采购决定，瑞典将推进这一提升极地执行力的关键项目。
Sweden’s Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal challenging the ongoing procurement of a new state-owned icebreaker. In June last year, the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) awarded South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) a contract to build the country’s next icebreaker. In the tendering process, Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard came in second but decided to appeal the award decision, citing irregularities.
The matter was initially filed in an administrative court, which upheld the award to HHI. Helsinki Shipyard appealed the decision at the Administrative Court of Appeal in Jönköping, asserting that the reference vessels submitted by HHI in its bid did not meet the requirements set by SMA. The appeals court affirmed the icebreaker procurement decision in a judgement rendered last week.
In a statement after its appeal was dismissed, Helsinki Shipyard said that although the company was deeply disappointed not to have been selected, it acknowledged the court’s ruling.
The tender document required bidding shipyards to submit three different reference vessels, which would prove technical capabilities in delivering an icebreaker. For the first reference, shipyards had to demonstrate they had constructed a vessel in Polar Class1 to 6 or equivalent, and delivered in year 2012 or later. For this requirement, HHI referenced the New Zealand Navy replenishment ship HMNZS Aotearoa, which it delivered in 2020. HHI stated the vessel has a polar class equivalent of PC 6. Helsinki Shipyard doubted this designation, claiming that it could not be verified in any ship registers as the vessel (now sunken) was in military service.
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The next reference project was to show experience in construction and delivery of a vessel equipped with specific types of diesel-electric propulsion. HHI listed ROKS Donghae, a multi-purpose frigate of South Korea’s navy, which it delivered in 2021. The frigate utilized a combine diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) propulsion system. Helsinki Shipyard argued this was a different propulsion system from the one specified by SMA. Further, the company argued that in icebreaking, there is constant change in propulsion force and direction, thus an AC/DC diesel-electric propulsion system is highly preferred.
With these arguments now set aside by the court, HHI will proceed with the construction of Sweden’s next icebreaker, valued at over $350 million. The EU will provide some funding, estimated to be around $35 million. Currently, Sweden has six state-owned icebreakers; Ale, Atle, Frej, Oden, Ymer and Idun. Most of these vessels were built in the 1970s and 80s and thus are nearing end of life. Icebreakers are critical to Swedish economy, specifically to support shipping in the Baltic Sea during winter.