Novorossiysk Shipping Company (Novoship OJSC, part of Sovkomflot OJSC) plans to put into operation by this fall two more tankers of a series of four ships built at Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries, China, RZD-Partner reports citing Interfax.
The delivery of the Leonid Loza and NS Bravo Suezmax tankers is scheduled for the end of the 3rd, early the 4th quarter this year. "The ships’ design will be absolutely the same of the previously built NS Bora, and NS Burgas", Interfax quoted a representative of the shipping company as saying. "At the final construction phase the vessels will pass tests so that engineers could make the necessary adjustments. Following the commissioning procedure the new ships will set out on a maiden voyage," he said.
The interviewee recalled that the new tankers meet the requirements for the transportation of crude oil for the Burgas-Alexandroupolis project, "but they are not constructed for a specific project, and Novoship is going to use them for its own needs”.
Sovkomflot running its fleet upgrade program ordered the Suezmax tankers at the Chinese shipyard. The vessel’s DWT is 156.800 tons, draft - 17 meters. She can simultaneously carry 3 types of cargo.
Currently, the Company owns and operates its fleet of 54 vessels with total deadweight of 4.5 million tons. Sovkomflot holds a 86-percent stake in Novoship. The company plans to consolidate the remaining stocks within the next two years.
Earlier, Transneft, Sovcomflot, Novoship and Trans-Balkan Pipeline B.V. had signed an agreement of intent of cooperation on transportation of liquid hydrocarbons en route Novorossiysk / port of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka - port of Burgas as part of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline project.