Icebound port

Despite the spring thaw the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland still remains covered in ice. Some experts say the severe ice conditions on 10-11 March that hampered navigation in the area may recur again. Every day, over a hundred of merchant ships have to wait for icebreaker assistance in the Gulf.

The Ministry of Transport is actively discussing the program for construction of additional icebreakers and the removal of some legal restrictions that complicate icebreakers operations. The PortNews correspondent who reported from St. Petersburg visited the JSC PortFlot’s tugboat, which assisted mooring a containership at First Container Terminal at Big Port St. Petersburg.

Rosmorport has deployed the largest fleet of icebreakers in the area: 12 diesel-electric icebreakers of Rosmorport and the Vaigach, a nuclear-powered icebreaker owned by Atomflot operating at Big port St. Petersburg. However, it is evident that the number is insufficient. In future, if severe winters hit again the eastern part the Gulf of Finland, Russian ports will likely face the traffic collapse. This winter the ice-bound conditions in the area have resulted in suspension of crude oil deliveries to the port of Primorsk via the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS).

The region will see a growth of trade flows in the next few years as new facilities are added to existing ones. In 2010, Rosneftbunker commissioned a terminal in Ust-Luga. A new oil terminal and a container terminal are projected be launched in the same port.