Proceedings of the Thirty-second (2022) International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference
Shanghai, China, June 5–10, 2022
Copyright © 2022 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)
ISBN 978-1-880653-81-4; ISSN 1098-6189

www.isope.org

Optimal Ship Routing in Ice: Comparison of Various Methods with Real Ship Tracks in the SouthWestern Kara Sea
Tatiana A. Alekseeva1, Ruslan I. May2, Valery Ye. Fedyakov1, Yevgeny I. Makarov1, Sergey V. Klyachkin1,Yevgeny A. Grishin1, Nina A. Krupina3
1Sea ice regime and forecasts department, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia
2St. Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia
3Department of Ship Performance in Ice, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia

ice formation, presence of compacted and very thick ice along theshipping route, concentration of icebergs and grounded hummocks(Dangerous…, 2010). Ice conditions are general characteristic in agiven local or large sea region. Ice navigation conditions identify ice
conditions along the ship route. Therefore, the occurrence of difficult
ice navigation conditions in contrast to easy ice conditions over the sea
area is possible and vice versa (Mironov et al., 2021).
The need to automate operational processes has also involved theautomating of route optimization in ice-covered waters. A number ofmethods for automatic optimal ship routing in ice conditions (autoroutings) was developed, e.g. represented in studies (Kotovrita et al.,2009; May et al, 2018, 2020; Lehtola et al., 2019; Topaj et al., 2019;and others).
However, even well-developed automatic methods of path optimizationin ice-covered waters are limited by the development of input data, i.e.
actual ice charts and forecasts. Automatic interpretation of satellite
images is still unable to provide prompt accurate detailed ice charts,
therefore ice charts are built by an ice expert by visual interpretation ofsatellite data. The interpretation includes identifying of homogenous icezones; from the one side, a homogenous ice zone serves as a generalcharacteristic of specified local or large sea region, from the other side,
it contains only part of required ice parameters and thus is unable toprovide complete performance of ice navigational conditions, as well as
to represent actual model of ice cover required for application tasks.
Automatic routing systems should be developed together with methodsof ice cover interpretation using satellite imagery; this will effectively
assist in planning maritime operations. Recently it is not evident,
whether the calculations of ice auto-routings can serve as anindependent tool for supporting safe and efficient navigation along theNSR without involving the ice expert.
This study represents methodology of ice automatic routing developedin the AARI and analysis of the first simulation testing based on
voyages of Arc7 Norilskiy Nickel class vessels in the south-western
Kara Sea, as well as defines its future development.

ABSTRACT
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute has a long-term experience inhydrometeorological support and selecting the optimal route ofnavigation along the Northern Sea Route. There is a method of shortterm selecting an optimal sailing route (up to 3-5 days lead time). Oneof the key challenges for hydrometeorological support and safe andcost-efficient navigation is developing automatic method for selecting
the optimal shipping route in ice. In this study we present results oftesting the auto-routing and discuss its perspectives.

KEY WORDS:

Auto-routing; automatic routing; ice navigation;
NSR; forecasts; optimal route.

INTRODUCTION
In the middle of the 20th century the extensive studies were developed
along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and in the Arctic Basin.
Renovation of cargo and icebreaking fleet caused changes in tactics ofnavigation in ice-covered waters, requiring sailing in fast ice, a longer
navigation season, increased velocity of icebreaker escort, increased
capacity of the NSR; besides, new requirements for navigation support
were developed. There emerged a necessity of specialized ice
information on ice conditions directly along the ship routes. These tasks
require study of ice cover as a navigational environment, as well as
developing the algorithms of quantitative evaluation of sea ice impact
on navigation in ice. Analysis of field observations reveals difference
between ice conditions along the ship route and those determined overthe sea region or entire sea area. In 1961, the Department of Ice
Navigation Study was established in the Arctic and Antarctic ResearchInstitute (AARI) in order to study ice cover as a navigational
environment, as well as identify quantitative indicators of ice impact on
difficulty of navigation in ice. A great experience has been sinceaccumulated by AARI specialists in providing specializedhydrometeorological information to ships operating along the NSR,
including practical and methodical experience of optimal ship routing.
Safety and efficiency of navigation along the NSR depend not only on
total sea ice cover and duration of ice season. A significant impact isdue to dangerous ice phenomena and formations, i.e. abnormally early

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