OREANDA-NEWS. March 10, 2011. A SCF delegation attended the Aker Arctic Passion seminar in Helsinki, which is an annual event organised by Aker Arctic. Representatives from: shipping companies; shipbuilding corporations; science and research institutes as well as design agencies participated in the event. Discussions focused on issues related to the seaborne transportation of cargoes in the harsh conditions of the Arctic.

In his address to the seminar’s participants Sergey Frank, SCF President and CEO, presented an analysis of the results of the SCF Baltica Arctic commercial voyage, with the cargo of 70,000 tonnes of gas condensate, owned by Novatek. From 17 to 27 August 2010, the tanker SCF Baltica safely transited the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Cape Zhelaniya (Novaya Zemlya Island) to Cape Dezhnev. The ship covered about 2,300 nautical miles along the NSR route at an average speed of about 10 knots. The entire route of 6,600 miles from Murmansk to Ningbo (China) was covered in 22 days. The distance for cargo delivery along the NSR turned out to be 5,500 miles shorter than the traditional route via the Suez Canal. Furthermore, the tanker saved 700 tonnes of bunkers, which equates to a reduction of some 2,500 tonnes in COІ emissions.

At the Helsinki seminar, a SCF programme of commercial voyages was announced, using the shipping lanes of the Northern Sea Route, which the Group intends to fulfil in 2011, serving the interests of Russian and foreign charterers. A voyage of a Panamax Arctic shuttle tanker, of the enhanced ice class Arc 6 (70,000 tonnes dwt), is scheduled for May – June 2011. In August-September 2011, after the shipping lanes have been checked by hydrographers, a voyage of a larger (compared with SCF Baltica) Suezmax tanker of 162,000 tonnes dwt will be arranged. In sum, the company aims to widen the time frame for Arctic navigation, and increase the volume of cargo shipment”.