Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea
The vessel traffic plying the Baltic Sea accounts for some 15% of the world’s maritime transportation business, according to the European Commission (EC), but every year harsh winter conditions pose a significant hazard to safe navigation.
The Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea project (WINMOS) is aiming to further develop efficient maritime transportduring winter when sea ice covers large parts of the EU’s northernmost waters. The WINMOS will tackle these challenges head-on and develop a ‘winter navigation system’ that will reduce the risks vessels are exposed to. A meeting marking the official start of the two-year 138M project took place in Helsinki, Finland earlier this week.
It is estimated around 2000 vessels are traversing the EU’s northernmost fairways at any given time and smooth year-round operation is a critical factor in the economy of the region and EU as a whole. Yet, despite this, sea ice causes huge problems for transport and trade. During a normal winter, there are about 10,000 calls to ports which are obstructed by ice.
Furthermore, it is recognised that the increasing number and size of vessels and rising fuel prices coupled with tougher environmental regulation (in particular, the drive for low-sulphur fuel operation and limits on maximum engine power) will exert a significant impact on the winter navigation system.
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WINMOS comprises seven different sub-projects:
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Source: IMarEST
Also view relevant video – Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea
Additional information at 2012-EU-21008-M
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The Action will contribute in particular to formulation of an icebreaking long termstrategy in the Baltic Sea, improvements of the environmental performance andfuel saving on old engines aboard an existing Swedish icebreaker, piloting newfuel injection technique (common rail) on other icebreakers as well as upgradingthe existing Icebreaking Management System, IBNet, to the contemporaryneeds. Software for training simulators for winter navigation will be upgraded tobecome more realistic. Sufficient icebreaking resources for the next coming years will be ensured by lifeextension measures executed on four Swedish icebreakers built in the ’70s anda new building of a Finnish state-owned icebreaker. These vessels are together aprerequisite for winter navigation in the Northernmost Baltic Sea area. Sufficienticebreaking resources will ensure efficient winter navigation for the next comingyears, which is of high importance for the trade between the Northern and themore Central part of the European Union |
