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Tag: vessels

  • Northern Sea Route almost passable

    Northern Sea Route almost passable

    Northern Sea Route - Map Arctic Portal

    As reported by The Northern Sea Route Administration, this year´s sailing season through the Arctic shortcut will probably be busiest in the history. The first vessels are to hit the route in the end of this month.

    The Northern Sea Route Administration has so far received 89 applications to use the Northern Sea Route (NSR). 54 vessels have so far been given permission to sail along the route, the administration’s web site reads. All the vessels will not sail the whole route between Europe and Russia, some of them will only be working on the western part of the route from Dudinka to Murmansk.

    The total cargo transported on the NSR last year was 1 261 545 tons – a 53 percent increase from 2011, when 820 789 tons was shipped on the route. According to conservative estimates the amount will grow to 1, 5 million tons in 2013.

    The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East.

    The entire route lies in Arctic waters and parts are free of ice for only two months per year. Before the beginning of the 20th century it was called the Northeast Passage, and is still sometimes referred to by that name.

    Source: Barents Observer

  • Nine vessels have sailed through NSR this summer

    Nine vessels have sailed through NSR this summer

    Transport ship

    With the continuous melt of Arctic sea ice, the Region might become all free of summer ice within a next decade.

    Previous year which was marked as the longest sailing season for the Northern Sea Route, managed to handle 34 vessels. The total cargo transported, reached 820.000 tones.

    So far the year of 2012 managed to handle only 9 vessels on the Northern Sea Route. However, if the sailing season extends, this year might become new record for the new transportation path between Asia, Northern part of Europe and North America.

    Nuclear powered ice breakers have been escorting vessels in transit in convoys this summer as the ice level was extremely law. This situation was different from the one which occurred in 2011, when nuclear powered ice breakers had to follow one ship at the time in order to bring it through thick Arctic ice.

    The first two vessels to sail through Northern Sea Route this summer were Russian ´Indiga´ and ´Varzuga´ which transported diesel fuel.

    ´Nordic Odyssey´ and ´Nordic Orion´ sailed from Murmansk in northern Russian to ports in China with close to 70.000 tons of iron ore concentrate.

    The gas tankers ´Marilee´ and ´Palva´ both owned by Murmansk Shipping Company, each transported close to 60.000 tons of gas condensate to South Korea.

    Also ´Vengeri´, the tugboat and the Chinese non – nuclear ice breaker ´Xuelong´ were escorted along the Northern Sea Route this summer while sailing to the northern hemisphere.

    The scientists report that the situation on the Northern Sea Route meets the average standards. The path from Kara Gate to New Siberian Islands seems to be totally ice free, however the part of the way in East Siberian Sea, seems to be more difficult than recorded last year.

    Currently the trip via Northern Sea Route takes 9 – 11 days on average speed of 12 knots.

    Source

    Barents Observer

  • A 750% increased shipping traffic in NSR

    A 750% increased shipping traffic in NSR

    Map of the Northern Sea Route

    The Northern Sea Route was busier then ever this year. In total, 34 vessels used the route, a significant increase from only 4 in 2010.

    The route was open for one month longer than last year, but this still shows that the route is becoming more feasible and more popular.

    The number is for ships that sailed from Murmansk to another country, Russians being the leading shipping operators in the NRS.

    The cargo in 2010 was 111.000 tons but in 2011 it went to 820.000.

    15 of the 34 vessels transported liquid cargo (682.000 tons), three carried bulk (110.000 tons), four refrigerator ships transported salmon (27.500), two vessels transported general cargo and ten vessels sailed in ballast, according to the Barents Observer.

    This year also saw the largest super tanker and the largest bulk carrier to go through the route.

    The map illustrates a new route, which opened up in the summer.

    Sources: Rosatomflot, RIA Novosti and BarentsObserver.

  • Boiling water to shrink icebergs?

    Boiling water to shrink icebergs?

    Polar bear walking on iceberg

    Icebergs are a huge problem in the Arctic. In short, they can be in the way! Vessels are scared of these sometimes huge and unpredictable blocks of ice.

    Add that only 1/10th of the icebergs are visible above water, they can be a huge hazard in Arctic Sailing.

    Oil giant Gazprom has now developed a way to use boiled water to melt the icebergs. They would melt anyway but to speed up the process might help, especially ships that are not strengthened for sailing in ice.

    The method includes the use of helicopters to cover an approaching iceberg with a water-proof coat and the subsequent injection of hot water.

    Gazprom knows the problem well so there is no wonder the company researched ways to help their vessels in ice layed waters.