Wednesday, September 01, 2010
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News and Articles World media is full of news on Danish-owned bulk carrier Nordic Barents to tranzit Northern Passage, Russia, in September this year, as “being the first non-Russian flagged vessel to sail through the Northern Sea Route”. Also, news agencies state bulk carrier to be of utmost possible ice class permitted for travelling Northern Passage. And the least but not the last, there are claims on expenses savings in comparison with traditional Southern Route. All three claims are either not true, or not all the true, or exagerration based on lack of figures.
First of all, let’s say loud and clear, that Nordic Barents can’t be the first ever non-Russian vessel to sail through Northern Passage. First ever vessel to sail Russian secret passage, closed for foreigners, was auxuliary cruiser of nazy German Navy Komet (built 1937, dwt 7500) in summer of 1940, cruiser tranzited to Pacific in a very short time and became one of fuerer’s pirates on high seas, sinking quite a number of commercial vessels in Pacific ocean.
Nordic Barents can’t be the second either, or the third, or even the fourth. Last year three German vessels, Antigua-flagged Beluga’s freighters, entered Northern Passage, though only two tranzited Passage in full, Beluga Fraternity and Beluga Foresight. After they tranzited Passage from East to West, delivering on the way some project cargo to port Noviy Obskaya Bay, another vessel, Beluga Family, delivered also project cargo from Amsterdam to Noviy, making on the way a call to Murmansk.
Russian tanker SCF Baltica isn’t Russian-flagged, flag is Liberian. So, if count by flag, Nordic Barents will be the fifth, if by nationality, the second, after 4 German vessels.
Now about ice class. Fact is, Nordic Barents has ice class 100 A5 E3 Germanische Lloyd, which is equal to Russian Registry L1 class. SCF Baltica has UL class in Russian classification table. UL means, vessel permitted to sail Arctic during summer-autumn period, while L1 is permitted to sail Arctic only during summer time. Strictly speaking, Nordic Barents is not classified to sail Northern Passage in September.
And now about financial gains, which look rather dubious. SCF Baltica passed Northern Route West-East, Sovcomflot and charterer, Novatek, claimed big gains. Still, some Russian media and also, members of shipping community, doubt those gains. Exact and trustworthy figures of how much nuclear icebreakers cost are as secret as Northern Passage in Soviet times. Anonimous sources claim in tranzit contract one tonn cargo tranzit cost was $ 4.3, but State regulated tariff nominates this figure as $ 17. Atomflot (State company owner and manager of nuclear icebreakers in Russia) income then, is something between $ 300,000-4,000,000 for the whole voyage. Daily cost of all three icebreakers taking part in SCF Baltica (not to mention extra two to meet tanker near eastern end of a route) tranzit is 1,500,000 rubles, or roughly $ 50,000. Let’s assume ice convoy was only during 11 days, from Murmansk to Pevek, most difficult part of route. Then, icebreakers cost was $ 550,000.
Where are profits? Was this voyage inspired economically or politically? And how come Danish shipowner is in a big plus too? A very noisy campaign started in Russia recently, on profits of Northern Passage as a commercial waterway for foreign cargo tranzit. Without calculations, figures, statistics or at least discussion, involving experts with different opinions. Looks like this year’s tranzits with flying banners and full-scale publicity are much more politics, than economics.
Voytenko Mikhail
