Ports development to go along with icebreaker fleet expansion, Victor Olersky says (photo)
Russia will have to synchronize the development of port infrastructure with icebreaker services improvement in sea ports, a Transportation Ministry official said.
"Old equipment is being decommissioned with no replacements," Deputy Ministry of Transport Viktor Olersky said at a meeting of the Russian government’s Marine Board on Sept. 28, 2012.
The official reminded that during the last winter season when heavy ice conditions in the Gulf of Finland shut down crude oil supplies to the port of Primorsk through the BPS system. This influenced the government’s decision to build four new diesel-electric icebreakers.
"The need for icebreakers will be 45 units by 2030 if freight volumes at Russian ports reach 1 billion tons. However, the actual number of icebreakers, including the four ordered newbuilds will be only 14 units. So, we have now a deficit of 31 icebreakers," said Olersky.
