Decision Making in Challenging Maritime Environment: The Case of Ice Class Vessels

Decision making in challenging maritime environment: The case of ice class vessels

Postgraduate Students, University of the Aegean, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport: Adamantia ZERDEVA (azerdeva@gmail.com), Dimitrios AGGELIS (dimtaggelis@gmail.com), Georgios MPAKOS (dk.83@live.com), Emmanouil MYLONAS (mylonasmanos@gmail.com)

Emeritus Professor, University of the Aegean, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport: Nikolaos LITINAS (nicoslitinas@icloud.com)

Specialized Educational Staff, University of the Aegean, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport: Georgios GEORGOULIS (g.georg@aegean.gr)

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to determine the key factors that influence the decision of shipbuilding ice class vessels. Such vessels navigate in the challenging Arctic environment and have to meet certain criteria. The reason of choosing them is to use an alternative route for the transportation of petroleum products and goods, from north Europe to East Asia via North Sea route. The route is used mostly by tankers and bulk carriers. The profit of using the route is greater than the profit from using the conventional sea routes.

In the paper the most important factors that affect the choice of building and operating an ice class vessel will be analyzed and a profit equation is going to be presented. It will be grounded on the days of the route open, the extra cost of building and operating an ice class vessel and indisputably, the extra operating profits. Also, the advantages would be stated on a greater scale. Sententiously, some of the advantages are the extra operating profits, the decrease of the days needed to reach the scheduled destination and as a result, the reduction of the emissions in the atmosphere. Finally, a case of a maritime company’s decision to build or not is examined and analyzed in terms of cost efficiency and market perspectives.

Keywords: ice class vessels, arctic environment, transportation, cost efficiency, market perspectives

Decision making in challenging maritime environment: The case of ice class vessels

1. INTRODUCTION-ICE CLASS VESSELS

A particular category of ships are the “Ice-class vessels”. They are constructed to navigate in regions where thick ice layers exist and subarctic conditions (wind, low temperatures, visibility etc.) The basic requirements of Ice-class vessels’ construction are: a. the safety of vessel’s shell, propulsion and energy compartments, and b. the existence of adequate power in order for a vessel to operate in ice environments especially during winter when conditions are extreme.