Icebreaking Services

1. General information

2. Procedure for the providion of icebreaking services

3. Statistics

4. Contacts


     1. General information

     With the Kapitan Dranitsyn, Krasin and the Admiral Makarov diesel-electrical icebreakers, the FSUE “Rosmorport” Murmansk Branch offers the following services to interested organizations in the waters of the White Sea, and the Caspian Sea, on the North Sea Route, and if necessary, in other ice areas of the World Ocean:
     - icebreaking services;
     - maintaining conditions for the passability of ice channels  and the safety of navigation;

     - providing vessels mooring in ice conditions;
     - supporting research in the Arctic continental shelf and expeditions to reach the South Pole.

     Examples of using icebreakers of the Murmansk Branch by Russian and foreign customers.

 

     In 2008 and 2009 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker chartered by the University of Alaska (the U.S.A.) provided the work of a scientific expedition in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea and the Norwegian Sea. At that period the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker was also chartered by the Government of Argentina to escort the Vasily Golovnin vessel for supplies of the Belgrano II Base. Crew members of the icebreaker received gratitude from the Government of Argentina for the good quality job they had done.

 

     In 2010-2011 the Kapitan Dranitsyn chartered by the Government of the Argentine Republic escorted the Vasily Golovnin vessel for supplies of the Belgrano II Base. At that time the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreraker supported the winter navigation in the seaports of the White Sea, provided support for tankers in the Gulf of Ob for the needs of OJSC “NK Rosneft” and vessels in the Yenisei Bay for the benefit of OJSC “GMK Norilsk Nickel”. Chartered by the Association of Russian Polar Explorers the icebreaker delivered passengers to the Frantz Joseph Land Archipelago.

 

     In 2012 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker provided the work of the Federal State Unitary Research and Production Enterprise for Marine Exploration “Sevmorgeo” scientific expedition to explore the Artic shelf (Alpha Ridge) in the central part of the Arctic Ocean.

 

     In 2013 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker provided the work of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “AANII” to study dangerous ice facilities in the Kara Sea.

 

     In 2014 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker chartered by the Government of Argentina provided support for the Vasily Golovnin vessel for supplies of the Belgrano II Base.

 

     In 2015 by order of PJSC “Sovfrakht” the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker provided icebreaker support for cargo and passenger vessels delivering cargoes and carrying passengers on Alexander Island of the Frantz Joseph Land Archipelago. In August 2015 for the benefit of the Nonprofit Institution “The Polar Exploration Fund ‘Polar Fund’” the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker removed polar explorers from the drifting ice station (the ice) with scientific equipment and the housing compound of the research station.

 

     In 2016 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker chartered by the Federal State Budgetary Institution “AANII” was used in the Kara Sea for transport and icebreaker support of  the work of the expedition group of the Arctic and Antarctic research institute. In the same year by order of PJSC “Sovfrakht” the icebreaker provided icebreaker support for cargo and passenger vessels delivering cargoes and carrying passengers to Alexander Island of the Frantz Joseph Land Archipelago.

 

     In 2017 the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker chartered by LLC “InterOilTrading” was used to provide support for transport vessels to the seaport of Pevek.

 

     In 2019, the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker provided icebreaker support for cargo and passenger vessels delivering cargoes and carrying passengers to the islands of Frantz Joseph Land Archipelago. In addition, the icebreaker took part in the delivery of shift crews, provisions and fuel to the drift site, above 86 degrees north latitude, of the German research vessel Polarshtern, the base for the international expedition MOSAiC, which is engaged in the study of climate change, flora and fauna in the Arctic.


     In 2020, the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn ensured the delivery of personnel, provisions, fuel and scientific equipment to the drift site of the German research vessel Polarstern, which is the base for the MOSAiC international expedition. The icebreaker managed to set up a record for vessel's duration of stay at latitude 84036'N during the winter period in difficult ice conditions. In the same period, a unique operation was carried out to bunker the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn at latitude 84046'N involving another icebreaker of the Murmansk Branch of FSUE “Rosmorport”, the icebreaker Admiral Makarov, who delivered fuel to the bunker site. As a result, there was broken the record of more than 80 years ago recorded in the USSR when in 1939 the icebreaker Yermak transferred the necessary supply of coal fuel for the Sedov, Malygin and Sadko vessels at the following coordinates: Latitude = 83004'N; Longitude = 66031'E. In the second half of 2020, the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn successfully managed to complete a trip to Antarctica from the seaport of Murmansk and back in order to deliver personnel to the Russian polar station Progress.


     In 2021, the Krasin icebreaker provided icebreaking assistance services in the waters of the Barents and Pechora Seas for vessels which ensure the operation of the Prirazlomnaya offshore ice-resistant stationary platform. In mid-December 2021, the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker, together with the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker, carried out long-range icebreaking assistance for three vessels from the western ice edge of the Kara Sea to the seaport of Pevek in difficult ice conditions.


     In 2022, the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker, in difficult ice conditions, provided icebreaking assistance services to ships with general cargo, prepared, pierced and widened the channel for their approach to the berth in the area of Sever Bay in the Yenisei Bay in the west of the Taimyr Peninsula, where the construction of an offshore oil terminal is underway.


     In February 2023, the diesel-electric icebreaker Admiral Makarov navigated 16 ships in the western part of the Northern Sea Route in the Kara Sea to the Yenisei Gulf and back, which was a record monthly figure during the icebreaker’s operation.


     Specifications of the diesel-electrical icebreakers of the Murmansk Branch

 

Name The Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker The Admiral Makarov and the Krasin icebreakers
Ship class РМРС/КМ*LL3 2 А2 КМ(*) LL2 [2]
Total length, m 122,5 134,84
Total breadth, m 26,5 26,05
Ballast draft/loaded draft, m 7,5/8,5 8/11
Loaded speed/saving mode speed, nautical knots 18/14 19,4/9,2
Ice thickness, m 1,8 1,8
Main engine power / total power of the power unit, kW 3 044/18 264 3 383/30 451
Endurance one month at full load (fuel) three months at full load (fuel)
Navigation area unrestricted navigation unrestricted navigation
Number of passengers 128 passengers 12 passengers
Information on passenger rooms There are 52 double passenger rooms, including 6 passenger deluxe rooms; and
8 triple passenger rooms.
Passenger rooms are fitted pursuant to the terms of an agreement.
There are 10 double passenger rooms.
Passenger rooms are completed pursuant to the terms of an agreement.


mrm_ice_dranitsyn_1.jpg mrm_ice_dranitsyn_2.jpg
mrm_ice_makarov_1.jpg
Admiral Makarov icebreaker
Krasin icebreaker
Krasin icebreaker

     2. Procedure for the providion of icebreaking services


     The FSUE “Rosmorport” Murmansk Branch renders icebreaking services with the help of Kapitan Dranitsyn, Krasin and Admiral Makarov icebreakers on a contract basis. Terms and conditions of an icebreaking contract (further referred to as Contract) are defined on an individual basis, depending on the purposes stipulated by the potential client.
     In order to make a Contract, a potential client should file an application to the Murmansk Branch by fax: +7 (8152) 55-08-50 or by e-mail: mail@mrm.rosmorport.ru The application is reviewed by the Murmansk Branch within 30 days, or more, if additional consultations with the potential client are needed. If the Murmansk Branch has technical opportunities to render the requested services, the client is sent the Contract for signing. The signed Contract must be returned to the Murmansk Branch.
     The icebreaking services are rendered by the Murmansk Branch according to terms and conditions of the agreed Contract.

     3. Statistics

     Information on usage of Kapitan Dranitsyn ice breaker 
 

Year

Areas of usage

Number of
assisted vessels

Total length of
navigation routes,
sea miles

Total length of
ice navigation,
sea miles

Total length of all
icebreaking assistance
routes, sea miles

2008-2019 ⇲

2008

Arctic seas,
Antarctic

1

7,390

2009

Arctic seas,
Antarctic,
Ob mouth,
White Sea

8

23,597

6,127

4,460

2010

Arctic seas,
Antarctic,
Ob mouth,
Enisey, White Sea

1

13,578

3,980

626

2011

Arctic seas,
Antarctic,
Gulf of Finland,
White Sea

365

38,095

13,506

10,857

2012

White, Barents,
Kara, Laptev,
East Siberian seas,
Sea of Okhotsk

72

16,549

10,244

6,978

2013

White and Barents seas

56

4,921

4,554

3,643

2014 Antarctic 1 21,118 3,122 1,377
2015

Greenland, Barents

and Kara Sea

33 11,439 8,744 7,827
2016

Baltic, Norwegian, Barents,

Kara, White, East Siberian

Seas and Laptev Sea 

19 19,457 6,265 6,018

2017

The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the White Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Baltic Sea

2

3,673

1,948

1,948

2018 The Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the White Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea 2 15,351 11,900 11,900
2019 The Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the White Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea 19 11,749 8,699 3,993
2020 The Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Irish Sea, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean
26,116
3,559
2021 Bay of Biscay, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea 4 8,738 3,142 2,421
2022 The Barents Sea, the White Sea, The Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Chukchi Sea  39 23,844 22,956 11,201
2023 The Barents Sea, the White Sea, The Kara Sea
14 11,621 8,096 5,646


Statistical information on the use of the icebreaker Admiral Makarov


Year

Areas of usage

Number of
assisted vessels

Total length of
navigation routes,
sea miles

Total length of
ice navigation,
sea miles

Total length of all
icebreaking assistance
routes, sea miles

2020 The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea
5 4,405 1,606 1,682
2021 The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea
53 23,052 20,192 15,826
2022 The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea
48 23,850 19,059 16,415
2023 The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea
59 23,803 22,719 20,287

Statistical information on the use of the icebreaker Krasin


Year

Areas of usage

Number of
assisted vessels

Total length of
navigation routes,
sea miles

Total length of
ice navigation,
sea miles

Total length of all
icebreaking assistance
routes, sea miles

2021 The Barents Sea and the Kara Sea
50 16,825 12,936 14,182
2022 The Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea 1 2,951 490 451
2023 The Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea
19 13,846 10,273 8,969

     4. Contacts


     For additional information on terms and conditions of the Murmansk Branch icebreaking services with the use of the Branch's icebreakers, please contact:
     +7 (8152) 55-08-01 (Monday through Friday from 8:00 till 17:00 MSK),
     or send a request by fax: +7 (8152) 55-08-50, or e-mail: berth@mrm.rosmorport.ru