Breaking the Ice: The Northern Sea Route

... year around. In most years there is only a short ice-free transport window from July to November, so for the rest of the season breaking power is needed. In addition, in certain years as was the case in September 2013 the two crucial bypasses in the Arctic waters froze over. Moreover, contrary to what some may think, even ice plateaus are not immobile, as they shift naturally so in certain cases unexpected breaking may be needed. As Mikhail Suslin of Sovcomflot outlined more icebreakers in the region will make it more efficient as it will increase the speed of transit and possible options. He does underline that much of the success will rest on whether tariffs set for transit by icebreakers remain ...