1st Dec 2011 The Finnish Transport Agency and the Swedish Maritime Administration signed the most recent icebreaker agreement in Helsinki on 1 December 2011. As a result of this agreement Swedish icebreaker Frej will provide added icebreaking services in the Gulf of Bothnia. This winter a total of nine icebreakers will be available in the Finnish sea areas.
In addition to Frej, the channels will be kept open by Arctia Shipping's large icebreakers Urho, Sisu, Otso, Kontio, Fennica and Nordica as well as by two smaller icebreakers, Alfons Håkans' Zeus and Arctia Shipping's Voima.
Frej available over the next five winters
The treaty on icebreaking cooperation between Finland and Sweden was signed last August. It enables the use of Swedish icebreaker Frey for icebreaking services in Finland. The now signed agreement guarantees that Frey will provide icebreaking services in the Gulf of Bothnia over the next five years.
Frej is a large icebreaker of the so-called Urho class. A seventh large icebreaker will help the Finnish Transport Agency to better deploy the large icebreakers where the ice and vessel traffic conditions are the most demanding. Large icebreakers can keep a high assistance speed, which shortens the waiting times especially in winters which are more severe than normal.
Further information:
Head of Winter Navigation Unit Jarkko Toivola, phone 020 637 3327
Chief Winter Navigation Specialist Ilmari Aro, phone 020 637 3322.