Estonian vessel to make money by breaking international ice

Photo: Küllike Rooväli

According to information obtained by Postimees, TS Shipping operating the ice-breaker MSV Botnica owned by PLC Port of Tallinn has made a serious breakthrough on the international offshore-market, securing the ship with a long-term contract for working in the Russian Kara Sea, for a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil.

The vessel which last year broke ice in Estonia and earned its living this summer in the wind farms of Germany is not built for icebreaking alone. The ship can do complicated tasks requiring DP3 compatibility. Meaning: it is fit to be base platform for underwater work by divers, staying in the same spot centimetre-wise for longer periods of time – allowing for the lowering and hoisting of divers, the equipment and heavy items.

The mid-vessel moonpool i.e. a shaft allowing giant crane to lift weights has been installed by Norwegians – no such specialists found closer to home.

For the entire past year, TS Shipping has toiled to get to know the ship, seeking for a crew skilled enough to use it and providing training. For a long while, they were not sure of obtaining a contract allowing to use all the vessels capabilities. For PLC Port of Tallinn, the contract now signed is vital, allowing to earn back the hefty purchase money, doing extra jobs in addition to icebreaking ordered by Estonian state.

To Postimees' knowledge, the Exxon contract goes for four years, the negotiations lasting the better part of last year. According to unconfirmed data, TS Shipping’s partner is Karmorneftegaz SARL, a subsidiary to Exxon Mobil.

According to TS Shipping board member Ülo Eero, the contract will not allow him to comment specifically on partnership or area of work; still, he confirmed the deal to be historic for the company. 

«In all of history, MSV Botnica is the first ever Estonian vessel to enter energy industry offshore-market; with this, we must be highly satisfied,» beamed Mr Eero. «For the energy industry of the world, we have issued a clear signal: a vessel sailing under the Estonian flag, employing an Estonian crew, is totally competitive in energy sector marine projects.»

Today, Botnica launches into icebreaking season, at the service of Estonian state.

MSV Botnica

•    Obtained by PLC Port of Tallinn in October 2012.

•    Cost: €50m.

•    Pursuant to service contract, the vessel will serve the Estonian Maritime Administration, in the winter-time navigation periods, till 2022.

•    MSV Botnica is tasked with assisting ships and ship caravans, mainly while entering and exiting Muuga, Tallinn Bay, Kopli Bay, Paldiski Bay, Kunda and Sillamäe ports.

•    MSV Botnica is a multi-purpose ice-breaker, built in the Aker Finnyard shipyard in Rauma, Finland, in 1998.

•    The ICE-10 ice class – Baltic Sea’s strongest – vessel is 97.3 metres (319,2 ft)  long and 24.3 metres (79,7 ft) wide.

Source: PLC Port of Tallinn