Sweden and Finland strengthen the common icebreaker fleet

To secure winter navigation to the ports on both sides of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, Sweden and Finland have agreed to use their icebreakers as a common resource. Sweden will lease icebreaker Frej to Finland to be used in the joint cooperation, while Oden will be serving in the Swedish icebreaking service. Agreement on the lease is for five years, 2012-2016, with an option for another two years.

The industry in Finland and Sweden depend on the shipping to work all year round to be able to produce and export goods. The last two winters, ice coverage has been extensive and prolonged. This has resulted in difficulties for the winter navigation. Therefore, Sweden and Finland have rendered icebreaking even more effective by a deepened cooperation.

Icebreaker Frej will be leased to Finland. The agreement for lease means that Frej will be used for the joint cooperation in the Gulf of Bothnia. At the same time as Finland secures the number of resources in its entirety by leasing Frej, the common icebreaker fleet is strengthened. Winter navigation to the ports on both sides of the joint inland sea is secured. The resources may be used in the best way both operationally and financially, as Sweden and Finland jointly determine what the need is.

The agreement on lease of icebreaker Frej was signed on 1 December 2011 in Helsinki by the General Directors of Swedish Maritime Administration and Finnish Transport Agency.