Icy plans

Russia’s Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) has approved the layout of icebreakers at the ports of Russia for the winter navigation of 2016-17. The feature of this season navigation will be in the deployment of many icebreakers in Sabetta and handing over of FESCO icebreakers to FSUE Rosmorport.

Arctic basin

According to the layout available to IAA PortNews, six icebreakers will operate in the Arctic basin: 50 Let Pobedy (from February 1 till May 10 – in the Kara Sea and at port Sabetta), Yamal (the same), Taimyr (from December 15 till December 30 – in the Gulf of Ob, from January 1 till May 15 – on the Yenisei river to/from port Dudinka), Vaigach (from November 16 till June 30 – in the Gulf of Ob and at port Sabetta), Moskva (from November 16 till June 15 – at port Sabetta) and Tor (from January 1 till July 10 – at port Sabetta). 

Five icebreakers will be deployed for operation in the White Sea. Icebreaker Dikson will operate along the ice edge – Mudjugsky entrance buoy – Arkhangelsk port water area – ice edge – Kandalaksha port water area (from December till June). Icebreaker Novorossiysk will operate at ice edge – Kandalaksha port water area, ice edge – Arkhangelsk port water area (from February till June). Icebreakers Kapitan Yevdokomov, Kapitan Kosolopav and Kapitan Chadayev will operate at Mudjugsky entrance buoy – water areas of Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk and Onega. Having analyzed the ice situation in the White sea the commission of Rosmorrechflot responsible for arranging icebreaker assistance decided that icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsin can be used, if necessary, at the ice edge in the bottleneck of the sea towards the ports of Arkhangelsk and Kandalaksha (in reserve till December 10, 2016 and from March 10-15, 2017).

Baltic basin

Eight icebreakers will work in the Baltic basin: Kapitan Sorokin (approach fairways, from ice edge to Saint-Petersburg entrance buoy), Mudyug (approach fairways from Saint-Petersburg entrance buoy to the port’s water area), Kapitan Nikolayev and Vladivostok (approach fairways, ice edge – water area of Ust-Luga), Karu and Kapitan Plakhin (Ust-Luga: entrance buoy – port water area), Semen Dezhnev, Ivan Kruzenshtern, Kapitan Izmailov (Saint-Petersburg; entrance buoy – port water area), Saint-Petersburg (approach fairways, ice edge – water area of port Vysotsk), Yury Lisyansky and Kapitan Zarubin (Bolshoi Tranzundsky roads – water areas of Vyborg and Vysotsk, in December and January and in Saimaa channel in April). Having analyzed the ice situation in the Gulf of Finland the commission of Rosmorrechflot responsible for arranging icebreaker assistance decided that icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsin can be used, if necessary, in the Gulf of Finland (in reserve from March 10-15, 2017). Icebreakers will operate in the Baltic Sea from December till April.

Southern basin

Four icebreakers, three icebreaking tugboats, two tugboats and a multi-functional rescue ship Spasatel Demidov will operate in the Azov Sea. Icebreakers Kapitan Moshkin, Kapitan Demidov and Kapitan Chudinov will operate in the water areas of Taganrog, azov, Rostov-on-Don and Yeisk, icebreaker Kapitan Krutov – at ice edge - water areas of Yeisk and Taganrog. Icebreaking tugboat Kama – at entrance buoy - water area of port Taganrog. Icebreaking tugboats Kapitan Kharchikov and Fanagoria: entrance buoy of Azov-Don seaway canal – water areas of Azov and Rostov-on-Don. Tugboats Tekhflotets and Kolguyev: entrance buoy – water area of Yeisk. The Spaastel Demidov will work at the Kerch Strait. If icebreaker assistance is required at Temryuk, Kerch or Kavkaz ports to assist operation of Krym-Kavkaz ferry service and construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge, Spasatel Demidov, Admiral LAzarev and Admiral Serebryakov can be deployed. The icebreakers will operate in the Sea of Azov from December till March.

Three icebreakers will operate in the Caspian Sea: Kapitan Chechkin, Kapitan Bukayev and Kapitan Metsaik. They will work at ice edge – Volga-Caspian seaway canal – water areas of Olya and At ports (in December-March). If necessary, the icebreaker can be used to provide assistance to ferry services.

Far East basin

Three icebreakers, a tugboat and a multi-functional rescue ship Spasatel Kavdeikin will operate in the Far East basin. Icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov will operate in the water area of port Prigorodnoye and at its approaches (February-March), icebreaker Admiral Makarov: ice edge – water area of port Vanino (mid January - April), icebreaker Magadan: ice edge – water area of port Magadan (mad January – April). Tugboat Khasanets: water area of port Vanino (mid January - April). If necessary, icebreaker Krasin can be deployed for operation at Vanino, Prigorodnoye and Magadan ports.

Based on the materials contributed by Rosmorrechflot.