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Bay Of Bothnia News

20 Jun 2023

Tech File: Battery Power Breakthrough in Ice

Image credit ABB

An ABB study based on three years of operational ship data mounts a case for integrating battery power onboard modern icebreakers, writes Samuli Hänninen, who specializes in icebreaking vessels at ABB Marine & Ports. The maritime industry is still at the formative stage of realizing the gains available from batteries, but the ability to scale up to megawatt-hour levels is not the only attraction for the zero-emission technology. Evidence newly disclosed by ABB suggests that the…

02 Dec 2021

Icebreaking Season Kicks Off in the Bay of Bothnia

(Photo: Arctia)

Arctia’s icebreaker Otso is set to commence this winter's icebreaking season in Finland as the first icebreaker to depart from the Katajanokka base in Helsinki on December 3.The vessel will provide icebreaking assistance in the waters of Tornio, Kemi and Oulu in the Bay of Bothnia where it is scheduled to arrive on December 5, just in time for a forecasted spell of intense cold weather expected to accelerate ice formation in the northern Bay of Bothnia. Consequently, the icebreaking…

01 Jul 2021

Maersk Orders 'World's First' Carbon-neutral Methanol Fueled Container Ship

Credit: Maersk

Shipping giant Maersk said Thursday it had ordered a feeder vessel with a dual-engine technology enabling it to sail on either methanol or traditional very low Sulphur fuel.The feeder, for which Maersk says will be the world's first container vessel fueled by carbon-neutral methanol, will be 172 meters long and will sail in the network of Sealand Europe, a Maersk subsidiary, on the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia. The methanol propulsion configuration…

08 Jan 2021

Finland's Icebreaking Season is Underway

(Photo: Arctia Ltd.)

Icebreaking operations have commenced in Finland, with two icebreakers presently deployed in the Bay of Bothnia, where ice has begun to form at the head end and along shipping lanes.On December 25, by decision of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the icebreaker Kontio was deployed, followed by icebreaker Otso on January 8. First assistance restrictions for sea areas entered into force on December 27.“Based on long-term forecasts, we would seem to have a mild winter ahead of us…

07 Feb 2019

Polaris Refuels in Finland

World’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) icebreaker Polaris refueled for the first time at the Nordic countries’ largest LNG terminal in Tornio in the icy Röyttä Harbour.As of yet, LNG is the world’s most environmentally friendly ship fuel. It does not contain sulphur, and its combustion generates approximately 87% less nitrogen oxides in comparison to regularly used Marine Diesel Oil (MDO). Furthermore, LNG’s particulate matter emissions are nearly non-existent.From the outset, Polaris was designed as an icebreaker that combines efficiency with environmental friendliness.“This is the third winter in the demanding, icy conditions of the northern Baltic Sea for the world’s first LNG-powered icebreaker.

02 Jan 2019

Finnish Icebreaker Kontio Departs in Bothnian Bay

The icebreaking services provider Arctia’s icebreaker Kontio departed the icebreaker base in Helsinki as the Finnish icebreaking season’s second icebreaker on Saturday 29 December 2018.The vessel headed towards its initial operation area near Oulu and Raahe, where it will begin assisting vessels. Icebreaker Otso, that departed on 25 December, already assists vessels in the Bothnian Bay.“There is already ice coverage in the northernmost part of the Bothnian Bay as well as near Oulu. So far the ice situation has been easy, but as temperatures keep dropping further below zero, more ice will form fast. Some forecasts predict a winter colder than average.

26 Dec 2018

Season’s First Icebreaker Deployed in Finland

Arctia's converted polar icebreaker Otso assisting a vessel in the Bothnian Bay in March 2018 (Credit: Flying Focus and Arctia Ltd.)

The Finnish icebreaking season officially kicked off on Tuesday evening with the first icebreaker deployment.Arctia’s converted polar icebreaker Otso departed the icebreaker base in Helsinki at 6 p.m. local time toward its initial operation area to keep open the fairways to Tornio, Kemi and Oulu. The vessel is expected to reach the area before noon on Thursday.According to the latest ice report by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, ice in the Bay of Bothnia is drifting toward northeast. In the northern Bay of Bothnia's inner archipelago there is 10-20 cm thick fast ice.

20 Nov 2017

Finland's Manga LNG Terminal Gets First Cargo

The first shipload of liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrival to the LNG import terminal in Tornio, Finland, on Sunday November 19, 2017. The Manga LNG natural gas import terminal in Röyttä Harbor, Tornio, is a joint venture of the industrial companies Outokumpu and SSAB Europe, the energy company EPV Energy and the LNG company Skangas. LNG was shipped to the terminal by Coral Energy, a time-chartered LNG carrier operated by Skangas. Once completed in summer 2018, the import terminal will be the largest LNG terminal in the Nordic countries and the second LNG terminal in Finland. Northern Finland’s gas and fuel market will be diversified as a new fuel – LNG – enabling deliveries to industry…

17 Mar 2017

Finnish Firms Present Oil Recovery Project Results

Hanna Suutarla, Arctia’s Development Manager, presents the results of the IMOR Project. (Photo: Arctia)

A recent seminar held March 7 and 8 in Porvoo, Finland, saw Finnish companies Arctia and Lamor Corporation present the results of the IMOR (Ice Management & Oil Recovery) project, which seeks to enhance oil recovery in ice conditions. The oil recovery seminar, arranged by icebreaking services provider Arctia in collaboration with oil spill response specialist Lamor, was opened by the company’s respective CEOs, Tero Vauraste and Fred Larsen. In his speech, Vauraste stated that oil recovery is a key part of Arctia’s range of services.

09 Apr 2015

TransAtlantic Container Service to Härnösand

TransAtlantic announced a new port of call in North Sweden by adding port of Härnösand to our TransFeeder North product connecting the Bay of Bothnia and the continent. Härnösand will be an excellent option for export and import volumes to North Sweden and an important step to further strengthen our service offering in the Bay of Bothnia. By adding Härnösand as a container port we are able to offer improved cargo flows and shortened inland carriage for the industry in the area. The vessel will call Härnösand on Mondays and the first call is scheduled to May 4th 2015. The line will cover Hamburg-Bremerhaven-Härnösand-Oulu-Kemi-Tornio served by vessel M/V Jork and Robert on each 11 200 ton cargo capacity.

22 Apr 2014

Arctic Energy Exploration Efforts Heat Up

The first ever cargo vessel to sail from Murmansk to Shanghai via the Northern Sea Route, without the assistance of icebreakers, recently completed its maiden crossing, cutting a 65-day journey on the return leg down to 19 days. ABB’s Azipod electric propulsion technology helps to make the year-round journey possible. (Photo: ABB)

Oil and gas—and also mining—are the drivers today propelling Arctic maritime operations and the construction of new vessels able to operate in extreme latitudes. While the gas and oil resources can be recovered in the Arctic or far north and shipped to markets by sea or pipeline, the cost of doing must be balanced upon the global market price for those commodities. Ships and marine structures able to operate in the harsh conditions of the extreme latitudes require special designs and construction techniques.

10 Jan 2014

Wärtsilä to Provide Turnkey LNG Receiving Terminal in N. Finland

Schematic of Manga LNG terminal courtesy of Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä says it has signed a turnkey contract to supply a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal to be built in Tornio, northern Finland. The contract, valued at approximately EUR 100 million, has been made with Manga LNG Oy, a joint venture between the Finnish companies Outokumpu Group, Ruukki Metals Oy, Gasum Oy and EPV Energy Ltd. The contract is conditional on receipt of investment support and Manga LNG Oy's contracts with other parties, including the gas suppliers.

27 Dec 2012

S.A. Agulhas II

The Polar Research Vessel S.A. Agulhas II has been built by STX Finland for the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). The ship is a modern and sophisticated research vessel, commissioned to the DEA in May 2012, built to replace the S.A. Agulhas after 33 years of service. The ship will support the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE IV) base on the Antarctic continent, a base which conducts research in the fields of physical sciences, earth sciences and life sciences.

31 May 2012

'Motorways of the Sea' Contract MMT for Hydrographic Survey

MMT (Sweden) has been awarded parts of two separate hydrographic survey contracts for the EU financed project 'MONALISA' for the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) and the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA). MONALISA is a Motorways of the Sea project which aims at giving a concrete contribution to efficient, safe and environmentally friendly maritime transport. This is done through development, demonstration and dissemination of innovative e-navigational services to the shipping industry, which can lay the groundwork for a future international deployment. Quality assurance of hydrographic data for the major navigational areas in Swedish and Finnish waters in the Baltic Sea contributes to improving safety and the optimization of ship routes.