The icebreaker “Neuwerk” was moved from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea to clear a channel to the frozen LNG terminal in the port of Mukran. Now, the “Neuwerk” has broken down due to a technical defect, causing the critical bottleneck to reappear. As a result, the LNG tanker “Minerva Amorgos” is still unable to dock at the terminal, as the channel to the port of Mukran remains impassable due to a thick layer of ice. The LNG tanker has been waiting in the ice-free zone in front of the LNG terminal for more than a week. (ndr: 14.02.26)
A malfunction halts operations at the bottleneck
According to the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), the icebreaker was still in operation on Friday, but then had to return to the port of Mukran due to a defect. A specialist inspected the icebreaking multi-purpose vessel, but the WSA did not provide any information about the nature of the damage. There is also no reliable estimate of the repair time, so it remains unclear when the “Neuwerk” will be able to resume icebreaking operations.
This means that the very vessel needed to stabilize the situation is missing, because without an icebreaker, the shipping channel remains impassable for LNG tankers. With a solid ice cover, even a brief outage is enough to close the passage again. This immediately impacts operations, as the LNG terminal is effectively cut off without a navigable access route.
Tugs as a replacement – but only as an interim solution
Because a thick layer of ice made the port of Mukran inaccessible to LNG tankers for days, the “Neuwerk” was initially relocated from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, while the largest German Baltic Sea icebreaker, the “Arkona,” was sent to the North Sea in return. Following the breakdown, the smaller, chartered tug “VB Bremen Fighter” is now supposed to keep the shipping channel to the port ice-free, but this solution does not fully replace the power reserves of an icebreaker.
Tugs can push ice and keep channels open, but they are not in the same category as a specialized, icebreaking multi-purpose vessel. Especially when ice is pressing down, continuous performance and clearing depth are crucial, and these factors determine safe entry points. Without the necessary effectiveness, every tanker approach becomes a risky situation.
LNG tanker “Minerva Amorgos” remains idled off Rügen
The docking of the “Minerva Amorgos” is delayed once again, as the ship has been stuck in an ice-free zone off Rügen for about a week. As long as the shipping channel remains uncleared, access to the terminal will be blocked. Every additional day of waiting further disrupts operations at the LNG terminal, and without an operational icebreaker, there is no reliable schedule.
According to an online portal, the icebreaker “Neuwerk” set course for Rostock on Saturday afternoon, while in Mukran it remains unclear when the ship will be ready for service again. The Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) has not specified the exact cause of the damage or provided a reliable estimate of the repair time. As long as the shipping channel remains impassable due to the ice, the LNG tanker “Minerva Amorgos” will remain in a waiting position off Rügen.