Malfunction of the main motor on the Akademik Fyodorov ship removed by crew within 5 hours
Malfunction of the marine propelling screw’s electric motor on the Akademik Fyodorov motor ship was removed by the crew within 5 hours, PortNews IAA learnt from Arkadi Soshnikov, deputy Director of scientific research institute of Arctic and Antarctic (St. Petersburg). According to Soshnikov, the vessel is currently continuing its voyage to the North Pole though yesterday, when the vessel was close to Severomorsk, a malfunction of the main screw’s electric motor was caused, most likely by blockage in oil supply system. The crew took the decision to drift in the Barents Sea. Then the systems were repaired and the report was sent to the institute of Arctic and Antarctic so that the specialists could determine the cause. Soshnikov said before expedition the vessel undergone the repair with replacement of pipeline system element. “The repair could cause pollution of the pipeline system,” a representative of Arctic and Antarctic institute assumed.
Before the expedition the Akademik Fyodorov spent two months at Kanonersky Shiprepairing Yard in the port of St. Petersburg. “Besides, Kanonersky Shiprepairing Yard, some 10 other companies including Electrosila works, participated in repair,” the source told PortNews IAA. Then the vessel was tested under supervision of Russian Maritime Register and had a 11-day long voyage to the port of Murmansk from where it started its expedition on July 24.
Soshnikov says the incident has nothing to do with the quality of bunker fuel supplied by LUKOIL-Neva LLC.
On the 10th of July, 2007, diesel-electric ship Akademik Fyodorov, the flagship of Russia's polar research fleet started Arctic-2007 expedition from the port of St. Petersburg. The expedition is to become one of the largest among those undertaken by our country in International Polar Year which started March 1, 2007. The expedition is to carry out lots of experiments and research being an important phase in joining efforts of Russian and international centers targeted at research of Arctic processes related to climate changes in the Northern hemisphere.