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  • 2009 June 4

    To break financial ice

    At least 3-4 additional icebreakers are needed for the operation in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland. However major owner of diesel icebreakers RosMorPort FSUE is not in a hurry to place new orders due to unfavorable economic circumstances.

     

    Frozen oil

     

    RosMorPort FSUE has concentrated practically the entire Russian icebreaker fleet having become the world’s largest owner of icebreakers. As of today, the company’s fleet numbers 22 icebreakers, the delivery of the new one – Sankt-Peterburg – is scheduled for summer 2009. Nevertheless, there isan acute need for new vessels.

     

    As PortNews IAA learnt from Vladimir Shtrambrand, head of RosMorPort Department for Construction and Repair of Vessels, 3-4 additional icebreakers are needed to ensure regular assistance for tankers operating in the Gulf of Finland in the context of Ust-Luga port construction and expected increase of crude and oil products export via port Primorsk. 

     

    And this does not take into consideration the need to replace old vessels with the new ones. “RosMorPort fleet is far from being young, the vessels’ age exceeds 30 years with two icebreakers being over 50 years old. Of course, we plan modernization and renovation of our fleet but it cannot last forever. It is necessary to renovate thefleet. And we are working out these problems,” Vladimir Shtrambrand said in an interview.

     

    According to him, the company’s fleet is able to cope with the growing volume of works if the winter is mild but a severe winter may cause problems to solve which icebreakers from other basins will be needed.

     

    It should be reminded that RF Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier forecasted the growth of annual oil cargo transshipment to 120 million tonnes via port Primorsk and to over 130 million tonnes via port Ust-Luga. Besides, when North project reaches it full capacity Primorsk may annually handle over 24 million tonnes of additional oil products. RPK-Vysotsk LUKOIL-II is also ready to increase shipment of oil products.

     

    To survive the glacial era

     

    With this in mind RosMorPort FSUE intends to order more new vessels though the issue is stuck on financing which is not easy to solve amid the crisis situation. “There is no decision to continue the series of icebreakers as is a cash-consuming project,” Vladimir Shtrambrand underlined.

     

    In case the corresponding decision is made, Baltiysky Zavod in St. Petersburg has a good chance to get a new order from RosMorPort FSUE. Baltiysky Zavod is quite a strong company and it is the latest in Russia to build such vessels that is why we place our attention on it. However there are other strong yards which also have a chance to win the competition, Vladimir Shtrambrand explained.

     

    Baltiysky Zavod itself counts on RosMorPort FSUE orders. “I hope the series will be continued,” Vladimir Dolgushin, chief responsible for the construction of the Sankt-Peterburg icebreaker, said.

     

    Baltiysky Zavod have built two diesel-electric icebreakers to the order of RosMorPort FSUE – Moskva and Sankt-Peterburg. According to Vladimir Shtrambrand, those multifunctional icebreakers may not only provide icebreaking assistance but also participate in rescue operations and recovery of oil spills. “We have taken the way of building multifunctional vessels,” RosMorPort representative stressed.

     

    Anyway, the entire Russian economy depends on regular export of oil so money is likely to be found to solve the problem of icebreakers deficit.

     

    Vitali Chernov
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