New radar post to increase navigation safety in the seaport of Kaliningrad
Due to the construction of an international sea passenger terminal in the town of Pionersky in the Kaliningrad Region, to the completion of the construction of a terminal for receipt, storage and regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Kaliningrad Region, as well as to the fulfillment of Russia's obligations on search and rescue at sea and ensuring the safety of navigation, according to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974 (SOLAS-74), FSUE “Rosmorport” is implementing the project “Reconstruction of the vessel traffic service on the approaches to the seaports of the Russian Federation. Reconstruction of the vessel traffic service of the seaport of Kaliningrad”.
According to the press release of Rosmorport, the project was developed in 2020 by one of the research and production units with extensive practical experience in offshore and onshore exploration.
On October 12, 2020, FAI "Glavgosexpertiza of Russia" approved a positive conclusion of the state examination No. 39-1-1-3-050881-2020 of project documentation and the results of engineering surveys for the project "Reconstruction of the vessel traffic service on the approaches to the seaports of the Russian Federation. Reconstruction of the vessel traffic service of the seaport of Kaliningrad, address: Kaliningrad Region, Kaliningrad forestry, Svetlogorsk district forestry, quarter (section): 98 (1,3,6)".
Construction and reconstruction of a vessel traffic service (VTS) and facilities of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to ensure safety on the approaches to the seaports of Russia include the construction of an automated radar post No. 5 (ARP-5) with a technological entrance to provide the VTS center in the city of Baltiysk with information on the navigation situation and communication with vessels in the established Kaliningrad VTS coverage area. The project is a part of a general task of ensuring the reliability and safety of the functioning of maritime transport, ensuring transport accessibility and energy security of the Kaliningrad Region and is carried out within the framework of the execution of the Order of the President of the Russian Federation.
ARP-5 will provide:
- increasing of the level of human life safety at sea, security and efficiency of shipping, as well as protection of marine environment of the adjacent coastal areas of the resort group of cities in the Kaliningrad Region and the Curonian Spit National Park against possible impact of maritime shipping (prevention of collisions of vessels, including those following with dangerous goods);
- rendering information services to vessels on the approaches to the remote maritime terminal Pionersky of the Kaliningrad Region (RMTP) and the terminal for receiving, storing and regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with a radius of at least 9 miles from the ARP;
- rendering services for organization of traffic and control over the movement of vessels within the boundaries of the outer roadstead of the RMTP (District No. 353);
- assisting in navigation within the boundaries of the external RMTP to the point of receiving pilots with coordinates: 54 059.1" N 20 013.1" E.
The VTS are to prevent collision of vessels, including those carrying dangerous goods along the recreational coast of the Kaliningrad Region.
On August 24, 2021, the Agency for Architecture, Urban Planning and Prospective Development of the Kaliningrad Region issued a building permit No. 39-RU39320000-575-2021.
In order to implement this project, the Agency for the Protection, Reproduction and Use of Fauna and Forest Objects of the Kaliningrad Region leased the necessary land plots to FSUE "Rosmorport", with the building area to be only 93.74 square meters.
There are 11 tree trunks on the site allocated directly for the organization of construction, there are no trees in the building spot. The information on the plans of mass relic forest clearance, posted in some mass media and social media, does not reflect the actual situation.
Automated radar post No. 5 (ARP-5) is an all-metal tower 61 m high and 9 m in diameter at the base. Only the control zone with the RP-5 tower located on it is subject to fencing. The perimeter of the fence is 92.7 m (25.6x24.3x27.2x15.6 m).
When working, the facility will operate in an automatic mode without the constant presence of maintenance personnel, the organization of water management activities is not expected. There are no sources of discharges into natural water bodies.
VTS equipment will be deployed on the technological platforms-balconies of the tower.
The technological entrance does not imply a fence and will be accessible for the passage of citizens along the forest area.
An object with similar technical characteristics is located at the following address: Kaliningrad Region, Baltiyskiy district, Baltiysk, 4 Malaya Naberezhnaya (Baltic Spit).
Geographically, Cape Gvardeisky is the only possible location for the RP, since it allows radar coverage for the entire water area of the Pionersky settlement, the outer roadstead, the area of the LNG sea berth and sea approaches to the port and berth.