Posted on February 21, 2016
The need for dredging at numerous water areas of Russia suggests the need for domestic dredgers the construction of which is in full swing at Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod.
The scope of maintenance dredging at Russia’s water areas will make some 12 mln cbm in 2016. Some 60% of this volume is to be dredged by FSUE Rosmorport while sub-contractors are to be attracted for 40% of it. As of the year of 2015, the company’s dredging fleet numbered 9 vessels (built in 1961 – 2013). Of course, maintenance of design depth in the ports’ water areas is possible only with the availability of modern dredging fleet.
Here comes the first one
This kind of fleet is under construction at Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard (United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC).
On January 29, the shipyard launched the Sommers, the lead vessel in the series of three dredgers of TSHD 1000 design being built for Rosmorport.
According to Nikolai Zharkov, Director General of Krasnoye Sormovo, it is the first dredging ship of this type built in Russia. Nikolai Zharkov said the shipyard would do its best to build the series of such vessels.
Implementation of this contract lets the shipyard reach the new level of competence – construction of dredgers with state-of-the-art and hi-tech equipment, believes Dmitry Khritin, Director General of MNP Group (Marine Oil & Gas Projects) which assisted in signing of that contract.
The ship design was developed by Damen Shipyard Gorinchem (Netherlands). Working design documentation under the project was developed by Volgo-Caspian Design Bureau. The dredging vessel will be able to sail in light ice conditions which will let extend the navigation season. The ship will also feature comfortable accommodation of the crew.
The Sommers, like other vessel of the series, is equipped with modern dredging equipment complying with climate requirements in the region of operation. The ships combining all the types of dredging will have the class of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
Damen’s shipyard in Vietnam is also building a dredging ship for Russia, which will have a hold of 2,000 cbm in capacity.
The latter ship will be registered on Arkhangelsk; the three serial ships – in Ust-Luga, Saint-Petersburg and Tuapse.
The delivery of the Sommers is scheduled for June 2016, while the Kronshlot and the Kadosh will be built by Krasnoye Sormovo and put into operation within the navigation period of 2016.
The series will be extended
Vladimir Shtrambrand, head of Rosmorport’s Fleet Construction and Repair Department, says all the decisions on outfitting the lead ship and the design fully comply with the design specifications defined by Rosmorport. “The ship complying with the world’s highest standards fully satisfy the customer,” – he emphasized.
Andrei Tarasenko, Director General of Rosmorport, said in his turn that renovation and extension of the domestic dredging fleet would let gradually reduce the number of costly orders for dredging performed by foreign companies.
According to him, this series will be extended in the future. There is a plan to build at least three vessels of this design. Yet, the final decisions will be made upon completion of the third ship in the series, he said. Andrei Tarasenko believes that Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard has good chances to win this contract as its shipbuilders have mastered the project already.
