The construction of the first icebreaker for Russian mining company Norilsk Nickel in Finland at the Helsinki shipyard is awaiting an export construction license, Finnish business publication Kauppalehti reported July 11.
Due to economic sanctions against Russia, the vessel requires an export license before it can be handed over to its Russian customer.
“The icebreaker project has applied for an export license and is still pending. Naturally, there will be a delay in the progress of the work due to the licensing process. In all our activities, we comply with the sanctions’ regulations and the instructions of the authorities,” says in comment to Kauppalehti Helsinki Shipyard Managing Director Simo Rastas.
As reported on January 18, 2022, Norilsk Nickel and Helsinki Shipyard Oy agreed to build a new environmentally friendly icebreaker for Norilsk Nickel’s use. The ship’s future operating area is the Yenisei River basin, Yenisei Bay and the Kara Sea securing access to Dudinka seaport both for its own fleet and its partners. The icebreaker’s mission is to make the channel in Yenisei River for Nornickel Arctic Expresses (Arc7) and tow additionally employed fleet of cargo ships Arc5 class with up to 20 000 tons deadweight. The icebreaker’s home port is going to be Murmansk.
The Helsinki Shipyard Managing Director noted that the construction phase of the Nornickel’s icebreaker is being delayed.
“The schedule and continuation of the project is subject to the export authorization decision, but of course there will now be a delay in the original schedule. The frame assembly phase will move from early 2023,” Rastas says in a comment to Kauppalehti.
Previously it was expected that construction work will begin in 2022 and the vessel will be delivered to the customer for the winter season 2025.