Viennese "MS Eisvogel" Celebrates Milestone Birthday

"As Austria's largest public Danube port, the Port of Vienna must remain open in winter not only for goods transshipped by rail and truck but also for shipping. When a massive cold front moves over Vienna, the Eisvogel is the guarantee that cargo ships have unrestricted access to the quay at the Port of Vienna at all times," says Fritz Lehr, Commercial Director of the Port of Vienna.

"MS Eisvogel" keeps shipping route open and protects other ships

By using the icebreaker, not only is the shipping route kept open, but the hulls of the cargo and Danube cruise ships lying in the Vienna port and at the dock are also protected from significant damage. "At minus six degrees, the harbor basins freeze over within a day, and at minus 15 degrees, our harbor basins would even turn into huge ice surfaces within a few hours. However, climate change is also noticeable on Europe's second-largest river. The Danube shows clear symptoms here, and the changed weather conditions do not stop at the use of the icebreaker," says Doris Pulker-Rohrhofer, Technical Director of the Port of Vienna.

Cable fire damaged "MS Eisvogel" in 2017

The "MS Eisvogel" takes on tasks as a salvage and fire-fighting ship and is available for customer trips in the Freudenau, Lobau, and Albern harbor basins. The 80-ton ship is 32 meters long and 6.5 meters wide, protected by a hull made of up to twelve millimeters thick steel. The 520 HP diesel engines move the ship slowly forward. In thicker ice, it can additionally take on 30 tons of water ballast and break ice up to 60 centimeters thick. In February 2017, the "MS Eisvogel" suffered damage from a cable fire, which was repaired at the ÖSWAG Werft Linz AG, including a complete ship overhaul.

Vienna Port logistics hub in Austria

About 2,000 kilometers from the Black Sea and around 1,500 kilometers from the North Sea, the Port of Vienna is characterized by its optimal direct connection to the three modes of transport: ship, railway, and truck, as well as its proximity to Vienna-Schwechat Airport. The Port of Vienna, as a subsidiary of Wien Holding, is part of the City of Vienna. On an area of three million square meters, about 200 companies have settled, and with up to 5,000 jobs, the logistics center Port of Vienna is a significant employer in the region. Together with the cargo ports Freudenau, Albern, and Lobau, it represents the largest public Danube port in Eastern Austria.

(Red)

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