AUDAX, PUGNAX
The transportation of modules for LNG plant in Arctic area became possible with our expertise and further built module carriers.
Read more
Services for decision making
Railotech Consulting and Technology team offers wide variety of advisory services for decision making related to new building projects and programs and also for evaluation of the performance of existing vessels and fleet.
Get your project moving in the right direction from day one. Railotech’s advisors blend decades of ship design experience with ice model testing and full‑scale performance and structural measurements. This evidence base allows us to validate assumptions early, set the correct ice class and design targets, and identify risks before they slow the project – cutting iterations, reducing rework, and accelerating schedules.
Whether you’re scoping a newbuild, refining a concept, or preparing for class approval, we turn complex Arctic requirements into clear, actionable decisions that save time and protect budgets.
Early go/no‑go and concept‑to‑contract decisions supported by reliable validation.
Initial ROM cost estimates with clear early CAPEX/OPEX insight.
The correct design direction from the start, using ice‑tank data and full‑scale feedback loops.
Reduced rework enabled by clear requirements, interfaces, and risk registers.
Data‑driven trade‑offs across propulsion, efficiency, noise, and ice‑load resilience.
Early clarity on environmental and operational conditions with optimised concept and fleet alternatives.
Advisory services for investment decisions
Railotech supports shipowners and oil & gas and mining companies in navigating the critical early-stage decisions that shape long-term project success. We provide structured early‑phase advisory services to support well‑founded investment decisions for operations in ice‑covered or cold‑region environments. When planning a new vessel, port fleet, or Arctic logistics solution, the earliest decisions have the greatest impact on cost, risk, and performance. Railotech’s Advisory Services for Investment Decisions are designed to provide customers with a fact‑based foundation before committing capital.
Every successful Arctic project begins with one essential step: understanding what is truly possible. Before any investment decisions are made, Railotech conducts a first‑phase feasibility evaluation that clarifies the operational environment, defines realistic boundary conditions, and ensures that all further planning is built on solid technical and environmental foundations. This early analysis draws on project‑specific and public ice and environmental data, as well as Railotech’s extensive internal archives, to establish the conditions under which a project can operate successfully.
From there, our Advisory Services sharpen, itemise, and expand the initial evaluations to create more precise plans on which investment decisions can be made and programmes executed. Typical service elements include the collection and analysis of environmental and ice data, evaluation of operational practices, definition of design bases such as required ice performance and fleet composition, assessment of suitable existing vessel designs, and fuel‑consumption modelling to support cost estimations. These services draw on Railotech’s extensive operational knowledge, proprietary reference designs, and decades of project experience, providing customers with decision‑ready insights for capital investments.
Based on the developed material and agreed decisions, we establish a tailored design basis and fleet concept: required ice class, ice performance, autonomy, and optimal fleet composition, supported by internal performance, ice class, and CAPEX/OPEX assessment tools. Existing ships and designs are screened for suitability and potential modification, using Railotech’s proprietary reference designs, public vessel databases, and extensive model and full scale test results. Fuel consumption calculations – including evaluation of alternative fuels, battery integration, and tank capacity – provide transparent input for operating cost and sustainability considerations. Where relevant, we also assess complementary ice management measures for terminals and ports, identifying technically and economically feasible options.
Decision‑ready solution for your confidence
Our advisory work is backed by decades of experience in ice‑going ship design and testing, with design references spanning icebreakers, tankers, offshore support vessels, research ships, and specialised Arctic tonnage. Railotech and the predecessors have conducted over 700 model test series and over 150 full-scale test programmes. Our concept designs have been realised in over 50 icebreaking vessels, including numerous novel designs. This deep domain expertise, combined with structured early‑phase methodologies proven in complex procurement projects – such as polar research vessels and fast‑track icebreaker programmes – ensures that technical feasibility, stakeholder requirements, budget constraints, and acquisition models are considered from the very beginning.
The result is a decision‑ready package that gives your organisation the confidence to move forward.
References
BORIS SOKOLOV
In 2014, Railotech began investigating options for year-round transportation of gas condensate, a liquid by-product from natural gas fields.
Read more
LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Customer´s bold vision of reaching the North Pole with a luxury cruise ship became reality through collaboration with Railotech.
Read moreRelated articles
Feasibility study for Qilak LNG
Alaska-based Qilak LNG Inc., a subsidiary of Lloyds Energy, was planning a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project in the Alaska North Slope.
Lifetime costs and emissions are important in ship design
The service is highly recommended when there are open design questions, such as the selection of characteristics and how to improve energy-efficiency.
The Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS)
POLARIS is an evaluation of the risks posed to a ship by ice conditions in relation to the ship’s assigned ice class.
Related services
Ship design
Decades of experience with design references spanning icebreakers, tankers, offshore support vessels, research ships, and specialised Arctic tonnage.
Full scale testing
Executed and attended over 150 ice trials – both for ships we have designed and as an independent authority for ships designed by others.
To operate ships
Ice Load Monitoring System (ILMS) is developed to support navigators’ decision- making when operating in ice.
Interested in our services?
Send us a message.