OREANDA-NEWS.   Sovcomflot Group tanker SCF Yenisei set out on her Northern Sea Route crossing from the port of Murmansk.

 The MR high ice class Ice-1А (Arc4) tanker (deadweight: 47,000 tonnes) will transport its cargo of light oil products across the Northern Sea Route to the port of Chiba (Japan). The crossing from Murmansk to Chiba covers a distance of 5,767 nautical miles – 56% less than via the Suez Canal route (12,840 nautical miles). The tanker is chartered to long-term partner Glencore as part of a joint venture with SCF aimed at the acquisition and management of a product carrier fleet. The estimated transit time is three weeks, 8 days of which the tanker will spend crossing the Northern Sea Route.

OAO Sovcomflot is continuing its programme to develop high-latitude Arctic routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific and this latest crossing marks the fifth of its kind via the Arctic. SCF’s first Northern Sea Route crossings made global shipping history and proved the viability and economic practicality of using this transportation corridor for energy shipping from Europe to Asia. Furthermore, these crossings also made it possible to develop a new high-latitude, deep-water route for commercial shipping to the north of the New Siberian Islands Archipelago. This was subsequently named “The Tikhonov Route” in honour of the prominent person in the history of Russian shipping and one of the founders of Sovcomflot, captain  Vladimir Tikhonov. The voyage undertaken by SCF Yenisei will expand the time frames for Sovcomflot’s high-latitude crossings and will start three weeks earlier than previous passages.

 The voyage will take place in typical ice conditions for the time of year with the tanker crossing the NSR under atomic icebreaker escort (Atomflot).

 Joint work conducted in 2011-2012 by experts from OAO Sovcomflot and the State Hydrographic Enterprise on high-latitude crossings by large-tonnage tankers made it possible to provide ships’ captains with tablet computers preloaded with electronic maps showing sea bed relief. This increased the navigational safety of the crossing.

 The technical organisation of the crossing has been carried out to a high professional standard by SCF Unicom and specialists from OAO Sovcomflot’s head office in collaboration with government agencies.

 SCF Yenisei is fitted with all available means of communication, including an Iridium satellite link and internet access, which means the vessel can provide land-based staff with ice maps, photographs and data during the crossing. Modern Glonass and GPS navigation systems are also in use aboard the tanker.

 In the interests of increased safety, one of the icebreakers has been fitted with a mobile emergency and rescue station including hardware for cleaning up potential spills, diving gear and other equipment.

 The tanker has a crew of 24 sailors with extensive experience of navigation in icy conditions.

 SCF Yenisei is due to arrive at the unloading port of Chiba (Japan) on 29-31 August, 2013.