Abstract
This article discusses safety and economic issues of sea transport during transit voyages of a vessel across the North Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic Ocean. The main obstacles to shipping and threat to vessels are the regions of ice occurrence and, in particular, clusters of ice with high and very high concentration, thickness and hummocking occurring each year in the same places, which are called ice massifs. Speed of vessels has the greatest impact on the economy of transit voyage. The safe speed of vessels, as a means of transport that ensures trouble-free navigation of the vessels depends on ice conditions. Until now, the concept of safe speed has not been precisely defined. Also, the impact of speed of the vessel in certain ice conditions on overcoming the ice and the risk of damage to vessel has not been precisely defined. Issues of direct and potential costs of vessel’s safety, damages and consequences of damages in ice were also not fully considered. The author analyzed the above relationships on the example of the first commercial vessel transit voyage through the NSR and obtained generalized results that can be applied to the initial, general and tactical route planning till 10 days - 6 months ahead and transit schedule of a vessel between Europe and the Far East ports via the Northern Sea Route. The presented method should increase safety and economy of sea transportation in areas covered with ice.
Highlights
There was a significant reduction of ice extent in the Arctic in last twenty years
The ice massif 77% relative area or 91% coverage of region by ice and total ice concentration CT varying from 90% till 100% require assistance of icebreaker and proceed vessel closely icebreaker in convoy
There are presented maximal safe speed and capability to overcome ice conditions and reliability in continuation voyage in relation to percentage of ice massifs, ice covered regions and total concentration of ice floe related to a vessel of ice class ULULA (1A Super)
Summary
There was a significant reduction of ice extent in the Arctic in last twenty years. That's why came favorable conditions for shipping by vessels of low ice classes, especially along the Russian Arctic coast. The reason may be lower speed due to higher resistance of hull in ice, the need to extend length of route to avoid larger areas covered by heavy ice, beset and nip of a vessel in close or very close ice and the need to use paid services of icebreakers. Another element of difficult to predict costs is the possibility of damage to propulsion system, rudder, hull or even sinking, i.e. the loss of a vessel. I Bezpieczeństwo i ekologia gency situations may cause costs of rescue, towing and current repairs as well as costs of shipyard repairs and dry docking
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