OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2010. The final meeting on winter navigation in freezing ports of the Russian Federation in 2009-2010 took place on June, 1st, 2010 under the chairmanship of the Head of Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport Alexander Davydenko. The head of the agency appreciated the work of FSUE “Rosmorport” concerning the results of icebreaking campaign, reported the press-centre of Rosmorport.

Captains of freezing seaports of Russia, representatives of FSUE “Rosmorport” and “Atomflot” took part in the meeting.

“Following the results of winter navigation 2009-2010 Rosmorport provided icebreaking pilotage in Northwest, Northern and Southern basins, — informed chief of FSUE “Rosmorport” Department of Ports and Fleet Operations Sergey Dadyka at the meeting. Operation of icebreakers was carried out by Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Taganrog, Yeysk, Saint-Petersburg and Murmansk branches”.

Dadyka accented that providing of an icebreaking pilotage during winter navigation on approaches and water areas of freezing ports of the Russian Federation was a priority direction of the enterprise activity. Besides, for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the state property use and maintenance Rosmorport solves the important problem of rendering icebreaking and other services in the navigation areas established by ship documents. However average age of icebreakers is 31 year. The equipment and mechanisms require constant repair. Thereof the question of financing of the state icebreaking fleet development becomes more and more actual.

According to the offer of the FSUE “Rosmorport” representatives all state diesel-electric icebreakers of the Russian Federation should be concentrated at a single enterprise. Questions of icebreakers transfer to FSUE “Rosmorport” are expedient for solving till November, 2010.

Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport supported the given offer. Alexander Davydenko underlined that “icebreaking forces of the state should be concentrated”.

According to FSUE “Rosmorport” General director Igor Rusu, “sufficiency of icebreaking fleet is a basis of navigation safety in Russian ports”. Today FSUE “Rosmorport” icebreaking fleet amounts to 24 diesel-electric icebreakers.