Icebreaker Tor fails to handle her job at port Sabetta, Murmansk Shipping Company says

Icebreaker Tor has failed to handle her job at port Sabetta (Yamal), IAA PortNews journalist cites Gennady Golma, captain-instructor of the Navigation Safety Department at Murmansk Shipping Company, as saying at the 5^th International Conference “Arctic Logistics”.

“In winter 2014, many vessels bound for port Sabetta had to wait for icebreaking assistance at Cape Zhelaniya. <...> I have polled the masters of Murmansk Shipping Company and Northern Shipping Company whose vessels were off the harbour and at the port during that period. According to the unanimous opinion, icebreaker Tor fails to handle her job as her technical characteristics do not meet the assigned tasks. Consequently, this had an impact on the time needed for handling of vessels and increased their idle time. A nuclear icebreaker escorting vessels from/to the route had to undertake port operations instead of the Tor icebreaker and then assist the vessels to the clear water,” representative of MSC told.

According to him, time spent by MSC vessels in waiting for icebreaking assistance from April 2014 till April 2015 totaled 211 days, which is almost 7 months.

The 374-design diesel-electric icebreaker TOR was built in 1964 at a Finland's Wärtsilä shipyard for Sweden. General characteristics: LOA - 84.5 m; breadth - 21.2 m; draft  - 6.5 m; maximum speed - 15 knots; main propulsion rated power - 10.1 MW.

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