The Swedish Club is proud to introduce a new seasonal iceberg and sea ice Advisory feature within its Trade Enabling Loss Prevention (TELP) system. The Iceberg Alert, which has been designed to support vessels navigating through regions where seasonal icebergs and sea ice are prevalent, reinforces the Club’s commitment to maritime safety. It delivers a timely and targeted loss prevention guidance.
Navigating in ice presents considerable challenges. While large icebergs are generally easy to detect and avoid, smaller formations such as growlers—floating chunks of ice that barely break the surface—can be much harder to identify and pose severe risks to commercial vessels. The ability to anticipate and mitigate these dangers is crucial for safe and efficient voyage planning.
The Swedish Club’s Iceberg Alert introduces a geo-fenced area that outlines zones where ice hazards are commonly encountered. Within this broader region, a smaller high-risk zone has been identified, where concentrations of sea ice and icebergs are at their highest. Vessels will receive automated advisories upon entering the geo-fenced area, ensuring they have the latest information to make informed navigational decisions.
These advisories are supported by two established ice warning and advisory services that provide real-time updates on iceberg positions and the known limits of sea ice. By leveraging this data, vessels can proactively plan safer routes, reducing their exposure to potential allisions and damage caused by ice.
Avoiding ice-affected regions altogether may seem ideal, but key ports and shipping lanes—such as the St. Lawrence Gulf / River—necessitate passage through these areas. This makes precise and timely ice hazard information essential for vessels.
Martti Simojoki, Loss Prevention Manager at The Swedish Club, commented: "Our goal is always to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of our members. The TELP Ice Advisory feature ensures that vessels receive relevant information at the right time, helping to prevent ice-related incidents and improve navigational decision-making."
TELP is The Swedish Club’s cutting-edge loss prevention tool, combining advanced technology with decades of claims experience to provide vessels with real-time voyage and port risk information. By monitoring AIS signals, TELP identifies insured vessels approaching high-risk areas and delivers tailored advice well in advance. In addition to ice navigation risks, TELP also alerts shipowners and captains to challenges such as severe weather, problematic bunkers, pilotage issues, and other region-specific concerns.
The new Ice Advisory feature is being automatically rolled out to all current TELP subscribers, ensuring they benefit from this latest enhancement without additional steps.
