Flag-hoisting ceremony held at IBSBV Fedor Ushakov (photo)
Flag-hoisting ceremony and blessing of the multifunctional icebreaking standby vessel (IBSBV) named Fedor Ushakov has been held today, 9 November 2017, in Murmansk. According to IAA PortNews correspondent, the ship will leave Murmansk and will transit the Northern Sea Route towards the area of her offshore deployment at the island of Sakhalin. For that purpose the crew of IBSBV Fedor Ushakov includes ice operation experts.
Fedor Ushakov is the third in a series of four multifunctional icebreaking supply and standby vessels commissioned by SCF Group, under a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy - the Sakhalin-2 project operator. With its high maneuverability, powerful engines and high passenger capacity the ship can move in ice of up to 1.5 m thick with a snow cover of up to 20 cm.
“It is the first of the latest six vessels built to our order that will pass to Sakhalin by the Northern Sea Route. Favorable navigation conditions are helpful to it”, - Yevgeniy Ambrosov, Senior Executive Vice-President and CEO of Sovcomflot told journalists after the ceremony. – Although the Chuckchee Sea and the Laptev Sea are already covered with ice, that is not a problem for a new vessel. Having opted for the Northern Sea Route instead of the route via the Suez Canal, we expect to save about 21 days of navigation time and about USD 400,000 of fuel and operation costs.”
The design and equipment of the vessel allow for round-the-year supply of stores to the personnel of oil platforms, stand-by duty and rapid response to emergency situations. The vessel’s all-Russian crew numbers 28 but it can accommodate up to 150 persons if necessary. Such vessels let the Russian fleet considerably enhance of environmental safety in the Far East region.
“It is very difficult to compare the Fedor Ushakov with other vessels, - Aleksandr Kutlubayev, Captain of IBSBV Fedor Ushakov, told IAA PortNews correspondent. – The entire system of operation is different here: a mini-wheel instead of a conventional wheel and steering with the cutting-edge Azipods and a dynamic positioning system. You will not see this equipment on commercial ships, so special training is required.”
“The fact of having the Fedor Ushakov blessed here confirms that Murmansk is the gate of the Arctic. We are always ready to welcome vessels going eastwards by the Northern Sea Route. We have been cooperating with Sovcomflot for a long time and, taking into consideration its intensified activities in the Murmansk region, I think it is time to renew our contractual arrangements so that we could provide support required by the company”, said Aleksey Tyukavin, First Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region.
The vessel was named after a legendary Russian naval commander and admiral Fedor Ushakov (1745-1817) who never suffered a defeat.
Principal parameters of the new IBSBV are as follows:
Length: 99.9m
Breadth: 21.6m
Draught: 7.6m
Deadweight: 3,824 t
Ice class: Icebreaker6
Crew: 28
Passenger capacity: 150
Homeport: Saint-Petersburg
Photo by Pavel Stepanenko
