MS Eduard keeps the port of Linz ice free
With a total weight of around 60 tonnes and a length of almost 22 meters, the MS Eduard is braking the currently five to ten centimetres thick layer of ice in the port of Linz. The steel-reinforced bow and an approximately one centimetre thick steel base protect the ship from the hard ice. Powered by two – each of 250 hp – diesel engines, the MS Eduard can break ice up to 15 centimetres thick.
If the temperature remains under minus 6 degrees for some time, the fairways of the three docks in the commercial port and the two docks in the tank port can freeze. Last time the MS Eduard had been in permanent use to fight against the ice in February 2012. The ship, however, is also used to check the quay walls and bank protection, or for taking water samples.
To enable goods transport and handling, all fairways in the Linz commercial port must remain open for shipping and therefore always free of ice. Around 3 million tonnes of goods are handled annually in the port of Linz. In addition, around 20 cruise ships are moored in the commercial port to safely pass the winter there.
