MT Indiga
Encyclopedia
MT Indiga (Индига) is a Russia
n product tanker operated by Murmansk Shipping Company. After her modernization in 1994 she became the second merchant ship, after her sister ship Varzuga
, to be equipped with an electric azimuth thruster
, Azipod
.
in Rendsburg
, Germany
, was the first ship of a series of four arctic product tankers ordered by a Finnish
oil and petroleum products company
Neste Oyj
in the 1970s. The ships were given names after Finnish seabird
s and the silhouette
s of their namesake birds were painted on the side of the ships' superstructure. Lunni (Atlantic Puffin
) and Sotka (Aythya
) were delivered in 1976 and Tiira (Tern
) and Uikku
(Grebe
) in the following year. Until the 1990s the ships were used mainly to transport oil products in the Baltic Sea
.
In 1993 Lunni made three consecutive voyages from Arkhangelsk
to the Yana River
in Siberia
along the Northern Sea Route
. The tanker was assisted by nuclear powered icebreaker
s in the Vilkitsky Strait
, but was under constant escort by Russian icebreakers only from Dikson Island to the Khatanga River
.
In 1994, a year after her sister Uikku, Lunni was also chartered to Arctic Shipping Services to ship petroleum products in the Arctic Ocean
. After Uikku 's successiful refit her propulsion machinery was also modernized for navigation in the harsh ice conditions of the Arctic Ocean in 1994. Her ice-strengthening was later increased as well. In the following years Lunni operated in the Baltic Sea in winter and in the Northern Sea Route during summer months.
Fortum
sold Lunni, mainly due to her age exceeding 25 years, to Murmansk Shipping Company in 2003. She was renamed Indiga (Индига) after the Indiga River. As Fortum is a state-owned company, the selling of two oil tankers capable of navigating in severe ice conditions resulted in a written question to the Parliament of Finland by Representative Pentti Tiusanen
about whether the ships should be retained in Finnish control as they could be used to lighten a grounded
oil tanker in harsh winter conditions.
The ship has since been used for oil transportation in the Arctic Ocean. Along with her sister ship Varzuga (ex-Uikku), sold to Russians at the same time, she has been involved in transporting oil from an oil terminal in the Ob Bay
of the Kara Sea
through the Kara Gates, the strait between Vaygach and Novaya Zemlya
, to FSO Belokamenka
in the Kola Bay
of the Barents Sea
.
Yamal
in Yenisei Gulf
in the Kara Sea
. The tanker, carrying only ballast at the time, suistained a 9.5-meter crack on the main deck. No damage was reported for Yamal.
On 19 July 2010 Indiga collided again, this time with her sister ship Varzuga, while being assisted by two nuclear icebreakers in difficult ice conditions. The bow of the Varzuga and the stern of the Indiga were damaged, but neither vessel lost seaworthiness and there were no spills.
in ice — in normal operation only one of the two main engines was coupled to shaft, with the other remaining in reserve for difficult ice conditions. The highly-raked stem, similar to those in traditional icebreakers, was designed to break the ice by bending it downwards under the ship's weight. The ships were also equipped with an air bubbling system to reduce friction between the hull and ice. To prevent pollution in case of grounding the ships were also built with double hulls and conformed to the IMCO regulations in respect of segregated ballast tanks even though they were regarded only recommendations back then.
12M551AK main engines (2 × 5737 kW), reduction gearbox, shaft generators, controllable-pitch propeller and rudder were removed and replaced with Wärtsilä
Vasa marine generating sets and a 11.4 MW electric propulsion unit. Being one of the early designs the Azipod unit in Lunni was of the so-called "pushing" type with an aft-facing propeller instead of the more efficient "pulling" set-up usually used in modern Azipod-equipped ships.
As with Uikku, upgrading the propulsion machinery dramatically improved Lunni 's manouvering and icebreaking capabilities, especially when running astern. Even though the ship's stern wasn't originally designed or shaped for icebreaking, ice resistance astern in level ice was only 40% of that of when running ahead despite the icebreaking bow. The modernization of Lunni and Uikku also further proved the feasibility of Azipod in icebreaking ships and the double acting tanker
(DAT) concept as navigation in the severe ice conditions in the Northern Sea Route sometimes required the ship to be turned around and run astern to break through ice. The refit also increased her speed from 14.5 to 17 knots despite the propulsion power remaining roughly the same.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n product tanker operated by Murmansk Shipping Company. After her modernization in 1994 she became the second merchant ship, after her sister ship Varzuga
MT Varzuga
MT Varzuga is a Russian product tanker operated by Murmansk Shipping Company. After her modernization in 1993 she became the first merchant ship to be equipped with an electric azimuth thruster, Azipod.-History:...
, to be equipped with an electric azimuth thruster
Azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary...
, Azipod
Azipod
Azipod is the registered brand name of the ABB Group for their azimuth thruster. Originally developed in Finland jointly by Kvaerner Masa-Yards dockyards and ABB, these are marine propulsion units consisting of electrically driven propellers mounted on a steerable pod.The pod's propeller usually...
.
History
Lunni, built in 1976 by Werft Nobiskrug GmbHNobiskrug
Nobiskrug Ltd. is a shipbuilding company located on the Eider River in Rendsburg, Germany, specializing in building luxury yachts. It is now a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi MAR. The shipyard currently employs some 400 people....
in Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, was the first ship of a series of four arctic product tankers ordered by a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
oil and petroleum products company
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
Neste Oyj
Neste Oil
Neste Oil is a Finnish oil refining and marketing company producing mainly transportation fuels and other refined petroleum products. Neste Oil shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.- History :...
in the 1970s. The ships were given names after Finnish seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s and the silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
s of their namesake birds were painted on the side of the ships' superstructure. Lunni (Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill...
) and Sotka (Aythya
Aythya
Aythya is a genus of diving ducks. It has twelve described species.Aythya shihuibas was described from the Late Miocene of China. An undescribed prehistoric species is known only from Early Pleistocene fossil remains found at Dursunlu, Turkey; it might however be referrable to a paleosubspecies of...
) were delivered in 1976 and Tiira (Tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
) and Uikku
MT Varzuga
MT Varzuga is a Russian product tanker operated by Murmansk Shipping Company. After her modernization in 1993 she became the first merchant ship to be equipped with an electric azimuth thruster, Azipod.-History:...
(Grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
) in the following year. Until the 1990s the ships were used mainly to transport oil products in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
.
In 1993 Lunni made three consecutive voyages from Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
to the Yana River
Yana River
The Yana River , is a river in Sakha in Russia, located between the Lena to the west and the Indigirka to the east.It is 872 km in length. The area of its basin is 238,000 km², whilst its annual discharge totals approximately . Most of this discharge occurs in May and June as the ice on the...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
along the Northern Sea Route
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
. The tanker was assisted by nuclear powered icebreaker
Nuclear powered icebreaker
A nuclear powered icebreaker is a purpose-built ship for use in waters continuously covered with ice. Icebreakers are ships capable of cruising on ice-covered water by breaking through the ice with their strong, heavy, steel bows...
s in the Vilkitsky Strait
Vilkitsky Strait
Vilkitsky Strait is a strait between the Taimyr Peninsula and Bolshevik Island in the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. The strait connects the Kara and Laptev Seas. The length of the Vilkitsky Strait is 104 km, the width – approx. 55 km, and the depth – between 32 and 210 m. It is...
, but was under constant escort by Russian icebreakers only from Dikson Island to the Khatanga River
Khatanga River
The Khatanga River is a river in Krasnoyarsk Krai in Russia. It begins at the confluence of the rivers Kotuy and Kheta. The Khatanga River is long; the area of its basin is 364,000 km². It flows into the Khatanga Gulf of the Laptev Sea, forming an estuary...
.
In 1994, a year after her sister Uikku, Lunni was also chartered to Arctic Shipping Services to ship petroleum products in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. After Uikku 's successiful refit her propulsion machinery was also modernized for navigation in the harsh ice conditions of the Arctic Ocean in 1994. Her ice-strengthening was later increased as well. In the following years Lunni operated in the Baltic Sea in winter and in the Northern Sea Route during summer months.
Fortum
Fortum
Fortum Oyj is a Finnish publicly listed energy company, which focuses on the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland and the north-west of Russia. After acquisition of Russian energy company TGC-10 in year 2008, Western Siberia has become an important operating area for Fortum. The head of the company...
sold Lunni, mainly due to her age exceeding 25 years, to Murmansk Shipping Company in 2003. She was renamed Indiga (Индига) after the Indiga River. As Fortum is a state-owned company, the selling of two oil tankers capable of navigating in severe ice conditions resulted in a written question to the Parliament of Finland by Representative Pentti Tiusanen
Pentti Tiusanen
Pentti Uolevi Tiusanen is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the Left Alliance. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in the 1995 election.-External links:**...
about whether the ships should be retained in Finnish control as they could be used to lighten a grounded
Ship grounding
Ship grounding is a type of marine accident that involves the impact of a ship on the seabed, resulting in damage of the submerged part of her hull and particularly the bottom structure, potentially leading to water ingress and compromise of the ship's structural integrity and stability...
oil tanker in harsh winter conditions.
The ship has since been used for oil transportation in the Arctic Ocean. Along with her sister ship Varzuga (ex-Uikku), sold to Russians at the same time, she has been involved in transporting oil from an oil terminal in the Ob Bay
Gulf of Ob
The Gulf of Ob is a gigantic bay of the Arctic Ocean, located in Northern Russia at the head the mouth of the Ob River....
of the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
through the Kara Gates, the strait between Vaygach and Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
, to FSO Belokamenka
Belokamenka
Belokamenka is a FSO vessel, located in Kola Bay near Murmansk. It has been converted from a massive oil tanker.-History:...
in the Kola Bay
Kola Bay
Kola Bay or Murmansk Fjord is a 57-km-long fjord of the Barents Sea that cuts into the northern part of the Kola Peninsula. It is up to 7 km wide and has a depth of 200 to 300 metres. The Tuloma and Kola Rivers discharge into the bay....
of the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
.
Incidents
On March 16, 2009, Indiga collided with the Russian nuclear powered icebreakerNuclear powered icebreaker
A nuclear powered icebreaker is a purpose-built ship for use in waters continuously covered with ice. Icebreakers are ships capable of cruising on ice-covered water by breaking through the ice with their strong, heavy, steel bows...
Yamal
Yamal (icebreaker)
The NS Yamal is a Russian Arktika class nuclear powered icebreaker operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company. It is named after the Yamal Peninsula in Northwest Siberia; the name means End of the Land in Nenets....
in Yenisei Gulf
Yenisei Gulf
The Yenisei Gulf is a large and long estuary through which the lower Yenisei River flows into the Kara Sea.The Yenisei Gulf is formed by the river widening to an average of 50 km for up to 250 km in a roughly north-south direction, between a latitude of 70° 30' N in the area around...
in the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
. The tanker, carrying only ballast at the time, suistained a 9.5-meter crack on the main deck. No damage was reported for Yamal.
On 19 July 2010 Indiga collided again, this time with her sister ship Varzuga, while being assisted by two nuclear icebreakers in difficult ice conditions. The bow of the Varzuga and the stern of the Indiga were damaged, but neither vessel lost seaworthiness and there were no spills.
Design
Lunni and her sister ships were designed to be able to navigate in the ice conditions of the Baltic Sea independently without icebreaker assistance and maintain a moderately high speed in ice. For this purpose they had more power than an average Baltic tanker and were normally required to use only 50-75% of the full engine powerMaximum Continuous Rating
Maximum continuous rating is defined as the maximum output that a generating station is capable of producing continuously under normal conditions over a year. Under ideal conditions, the actual output could be higher than the MCR....
in ice — in normal operation only one of the two main engines was coupled to shaft, with the other remaining in reserve for difficult ice conditions. The highly-raked stem, similar to those in traditional icebreakers, was designed to break the ice by bending it downwards under the ship's weight. The ships were also equipped with an air bubbling system to reduce friction between the hull and ice. To prevent pollution in case of grounding the ships were also built with double hulls and conformed to the IMCO regulations in respect of segregated ballast tanks even though they were regarded only recommendations back then.
Modernization
A year after Uikku 's successiful refit Lunni was also extensively modernized by Kværner Masa-Yards' Helsinki New Shipyard in 1994 and became the second merchant ship to receive a newly-developed electronic azimuth thruster, Azipod. Her original MaKMaschinenbau Kiel
Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH designed, manufactured and marketed marine diesel engines, diesel locomotives and tracked vehicles under the MaK brand name. The three primary operating divisions of Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH were sold to different companies in the 1990s.Rheinmetall acquired the military...
12M551AK main engines (2 × 5737 kW), reduction gearbox, shaft generators, controllable-pitch propeller and rudder were removed and replaced with Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
Vasa marine generating sets and a 11.4 MW electric propulsion unit. Being one of the early designs the Azipod unit in Lunni was of the so-called "pushing" type with an aft-facing propeller instead of the more efficient "pulling" set-up usually used in modern Azipod-equipped ships.
As with Uikku, upgrading the propulsion machinery dramatically improved Lunni 's manouvering and icebreaking capabilities, especially when running astern. Even though the ship's stern wasn't originally designed or shaped for icebreaking, ice resistance astern in level ice was only 40% of that of when running ahead despite the icebreaking bow. The modernization of Lunni and Uikku also further proved the feasibility of Azipod in icebreaking ships and the double acting tanker
Double acting ship
Double acting ship is a type of icebreaking merchant ship designed to run ahead in open water and astern in ice...
(DAT) concept as navigation in the severe ice conditions in the Northern Sea Route sometimes required the ship to be turned around and run astern to break through ice. The refit also increased her speed from 14.5 to 17 knots despite the propulsion power remaining roughly the same.