The 3,600 TEU ship is heading toward Vostochniy Port, where it is expected to call tomorrow, August 24, as part of the trial run aimed at collecting scientific data.
The ship forms part of the company’s fleet of Baltic feeder vessels, which have been purpose-built for low-sulphur fuel in order to comply with the Emission Control Area or ECA requirements for the Baltic and Northern sea regions.
“Although not a regulatory requirement, Maersk has decided to use ultra-low sulphur fuel (ULSFO) for this trail. We will of course ensure that Venta Maersk will comply with all regulations at the time the trial is conducted,” the company spokesperson said in a statement to World Maritime News.
The decision is of particular importance due to environmental concerns raised amid growing shipping activity in the Arctic waters. Namely, due to higher frequency of vessels there is an ever growing risk of collisions and shipping incidents, including oil spills in an area which is lacking in adequate infrastructure to deal with oil pollution.
Special requirements for the ship and crew
Due to the harsh weather conditions in the Northern Sea Route, including sub-zero temperatures, low visibility due to the darkness and fog, the ships transiting the route have to meet strict technical conditions in order to be able to navigate safely through the Arctic waters.
In practice this means that the structural strength and integrity of the ship’s hull are very important as well as the reliability of all systems on board including propulsion, steering and power generation due to remoteness and lack of available ports for potential repair and pick-up of supplies in the region. Aside to ice strenghtened hull, the ships have to have higher propulsion power and include other winterizing features, i.e., making materials and equipment on board resistant to low temperatures to avoid malfunctions.
Venta Maersk was ordered as part of a series of seven ships in 2015 from Cosco Shipyard that has been described as the world’s largest ice-class container vessels, designed specifically for operation in winter conditions and temperatures of down to -25 degrees C. Apart from their stronger hull, they are characterized by high refrigerated cargo intake.
In line with the IMO’s requirements, masters, chief mates and officers in charge of a navigational watch on board ships operating in polar waters have to complete training in ice navigation.
This means being proficient in operating a ship in ice covered waters, recognition of ice formation, ice manouvering, dealing with technical problems caused by ice and ice escort operations etc. In addition, officers and crew members should be be familiar with cold weather survival and keeping the ship in top condition to avoid icing.
If the ice is not frequently removed, it tends to build up on the ship’s structure and may cause the vessel to destabilize or capsize.
In conclusion, since this is a very harsh environment, demanding for both the ship and the crew, venturing into the area is nothing to be taken lightly.
“The safety of our seamen and ships and the protection of nature is of utmost importance to us. The arctic conditions require special training of the crew, ship structure, machinery installations and emergency preparedness by the authorities. We are taking all measures to ensure that this trial is done with the highest considerations for the sensitive environment in the region,” Maersk told World Maritime News.
馬士基的冰級船Venta Maersk今天早些時候離開了Vladivostok，前往北海航線，成為世界上第一艘通過該航線冒險的集裝箱船。
這艘3,600 TEU的船正駛向Vostochniy港口，預計將於8月24日在明天召開，作為旨在收集科學數據的試運行的一部分。
該船是該公司波羅的海支線船隊的一部分，該船是專為低硫燃料而建造的，以符合波羅的海和北海地區的排放控制區或ECA要求。
“雖然不是監管要求，但馬士基決定使用超低硫燃料（ULSFO）來實現這一目標。我們當然會確保Venta Maersk在審判時遵守所有規定，“公司發言人在向世界海事新聞發表的一份聲明中表示。
由於北極水域航運活動不斷增加，環境問題日益凸顯，這一決定尤為重要。也就是說，由於船舶頻率較高，碰撞和航運事故的風險不斷增加，包括缺乏足夠的基礎設施以應對石油污染的地區的石油洩漏。
船舶和船員的特殊要求
由於北海航線的惡劣天氣條件，包括零度以下溫度，由於黑暗和霧氣導致能見度低，過境航行的船隻必須符合嚴格的技術條件才能安全通過北極水域。
在實踐中，這意味著船體的結構強度和完整性非常重要，以及船上所有系統的可靠性，包括由於偏遠而導致的推進，轉向和發電，以及缺乏可用的潛在維修和取貨的港口。該地區的供應。除了堅固的船體外，船舶必須具有更高的推進力並包括其他防寒功能，即使船上的材料和設備能夠抵抗低溫以避免故障。
Venta Maersk於2015年被Cosco Shipyard訂購為七艘船系列的一部分，後者被描述為世界上最大的冰級集裝箱船，專為冬季條件和低至-25攝氏度的溫度運行而設計。他們的船體更堅固，其特點是高冷藏貨物。
根據國際海事組織的要求，負責在極地水域航行的船舶上的導航監管的船長、大副和船員必須完成極地導航培訓。
這意味著精通在冰雪覆蓋的水域中操作船隻，識別冰層，處理冰層，處理由冰和冰護航操作引起的技術問題等。此外，官員和機組人員應熟悉寒冷天氣的生存和保持船舶處於最佳狀態以避免結冰。
如果冰不經常被移除，它往往會積聚在船的結構上，並可能導致船舶不穩定或傾覆。
總而言之，由於這是一個非常惡劣的環境，對船舶和船員都要求很高，因此冒險進入該地區是不可缺少的。
“我們的海員和船隻的安全以及對自然的保護對我們來說至關重要。北極條件需要當局對船員，船舶結構，機械設施和應急準備進行特殊培訓。我們正在採取一切措施，確保對該地區敏感環境的最高考慮進行這項試驗。
Information source: World Maritime News Staff; Image Courtesy: Maersk
