Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Port, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 12:38

Botnica to start breaking ice in Gulf of Finland

BC, Tallinn, 22.02.2018.Print version
The Estonian icebreaker Botnica is about to head to the sea area off the port of Sillamae on Wednesday to free the German freighter Neuland stuck in ice there, thus opening the icebreaking season in the Estonian portion of the Gulf of Finland, reports LETA/BNS.

Botnica was scheduled to sail out of the harbor of Paljassaare in the afternoon and to reach the region of Sillamae around midnight to help the freighter, Priit Poiklik, spokesman for the Estonian Maritime Administration, told BNS.


The icebrealer was to sail out of Paljassaare with up to 100,000 liters of fuel in its tanks, about four days' supply when icebreaking work is performed.

 

The German flagged Neuland become stuck in ice shortly after exiting the port of Sillamae.

 

After freeing the German vessel, Botnica will cary out ice reconnaissance in the Sillamae-Kunda area to inform ships by radio and provide guidance in entering and exiting of port if necessary.

 

Poiklik said that in the Gulf of Finland the sea has become icebound or packed ice has built up primarily in the area near Sillamae.

 

The Estonian Maritime Administration has established a requirement effective March 1 for all ships about to enter or leave Sillamae Port to have a Lloyd's Register ice class of at least 1D or equal by another classification society, and main engine power of at least 1,200 kilowatts.

 

Last winter, icebreaking was conducted in the Gulf of Finland only during a few days when currents and winds carried packed ice to the Sillamae area and nine ships had to be helped through the ice there.

 

Under a contract for 2012-2022 awarded following a public procurement tender, the government pays 4.7 million euros as charter fee and a standby charge for four winter months for the services of the Botnica, a multipurpose vessel belonging to the Port of Tallinn subsidiary TS Shipping, per year. During the period of icebreaking operations an additional fuel charge for an average of 30,000 liters of fuel per day is added.

 

The state budget for 2018 sets aside 6.4 million euros for icebreaking operations. The Maritime Administration believes that the amount of money actually needed for this purpose will be bigger.

 

Estonia has altogether four vessels at its disposal to carry out icebreaking operations. Two of them -- Tarmo and EVA-316 -- belong to the state. The former is used in the function of standby icebreaker for the Gulf of Finland and the latter as the main icebreaker for the Gulf of Riga. The third vessel is Botnica and the fourth the tug Protector of the company AS Alfons Hakans, which has been chartered for this icebreaking season as a standby vessel in the Gulf of Riga to help out when EVA-316 needs maintenance, which has happened already.

 






Search site