Icebreaking begins in sea areas – The first icebreaking assistance restrictions will enter into force on Saturday 21 December.

Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has imposed the first assistance restrictions for the ports of Tornio, Kemi, Oulu, Kokkola, Pietarsaari and Vaasa for winter 2024–2025. This means that icebreaking assistance will be restricted to vessels of at least Finnish-Swedish ice class II and of at least 2,000 deadweight tonnage. The restriction imposed now will enter into force on 21 December 2024, one month later than last winter. The first request for an icebreaker operation has been made: Kontio is coming to ensure traffic in the Bay of Bothnia for the weekend.

“So far, the ice cover is thin, and the predictability of the weather is poor. As freezing temperatures continue, the ice cover thickens, but as the wind turns south, a brash ice barrier may form in the fairways. Both scenarios pose a risk of merchant vessels becoming stuck,” says Tuomas Taivi, Maritime Specialist at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

Before Arctia’s Kontio arrives in the Bay of Bothnia at the end of the week, traffic assistance will be provided by contracted tugboats of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. The first assistance operation already took place in the Tornio fairway last night.

“The weather conditions and ice formation are monitored using the information and the forecasting service produced by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The ice reports that pilots produce based on their observations are also important and valuable – winter navigation will be made cost-effective through cooperation. Icebreaking capacity will be increased and restrictions raised as necessary,” continues Tuomas Taivi.

In the coming winter, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency will impose assistance restrictions based on ice conditions in ports on the same principles as in previous winters. The applicable restriction policy is shared with Sweden. In addition to tugboats, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s fleet includes Arctia’s nine icebreakers and Alfons Håkans’s Zeus of Finland and combination of the tugboat Calypso and the detachable icebreaking bow Saimaa.

In Lake Saimaa, assistance activities have already been carried out for a week. Assistance is given to the extent required by raw timber transportation, as was the case last winter.
Icebreaking ensures the transport of goods in Finland

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible for the public office duties and procurement associated with winter navigation, for national coordination and for decision-making on port assistance restrictions. Service providers maintain the icebreaking equipment and provide the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency with icebreaking services to ensure safety and service level for maritime business transports. As 95% of goods transport in Finland are carried by sea, year-round maritime transport is essential.

Cooperation with neighbouring countries is also of great importance: the neighbouring countries have an agreement of joint use of the icebreaker capacity and the seamless cooperation with domestic operators makes a smooth commercial shipping possible. Finland and Sweden cooperate closely in the Gulf of Bothnia and the icebreaking fleet is operated as a single fleet as needed.

According to the service promise of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the help of icebreakers is available within approximately four hours. The icebreakers do not only travel along the routes between ports as countless vessels are assisted also on the open sea, where the most challenging and unstable ice conditions usually prevail. The costs of winter navigation are approximately EUR 70 million per year, as all Finnish ports freeze during normal winters.

Information about the assistance and ice situation (baltice.org)This is an external link

The Winter Navigation pages contain instructions for winter navigation in Finnish, Swedish and English 

More information:
Maritime Transport Specialist Tuomas Taivi, tel. +358 (0)29 534 3328 or [email protected]