The Swedish Maritime Administration’s five icebreakers have partially gone to low-altitude this winter. As a result of mild weather and lagging ice laying, the high season for ice breaking has not yet started.
Amund Lindberg, operations manager at the icebreaker management, describes the icing at the beginning of January as “something below normal”.
— There is quite a bit of ice right now, and we see that the summer’s warm weather has given a clear signal in the water temperature, in the form of warmer water. This means that we get the ice very close to the coast and that there is less ice out at sea, he says.
So far this winter, Ale and Atle have mainly been used for icebreaking and assistance, while the other ships have been fully or partially moored waiting for colder weather. In addition, Oden is undergoing repairs, and is expected to be commissioned together with Ymer later this winter.
According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, this winter’s ice-breaking has mainly been shifted to Norrbotten’s coastal area – but will be expanded to the south as the ice-laying increases.
The icebreaker Frej has just been commissioned for the season and is supposed to assist ships in northern Kvarken.