MMC Norilsk Nickel has signed a delivery and acceptance certificate for a river tugboat built by Nizhny Novgorod region-based ZNT Yard (Zavod Nozhegorodsky Teplokhod), the Company news release said.
This is the second tug boat, built at the plant for MMC Norilsk Nickel. Construction of the river tug boat was completed as part of the investment program of the Polar Transportation Division of the Company aimed at upgrade of the port fleet. The program includes the construction of two river and two sea-going tugs as well as a bunker vessel.
The ship’s main characteristics: length overall - 21.35 m, beam - is 6.61 m, depth - 2.4 m, draft - 1.8 m. The boat is powered by 600 hp main engines. The cost of the tug is RUB 164 million.
Construction of river tugs is part of MMC Norilsk Nickel’s strategy aimed at enhancing the Company’s transportation independence and efficiency of its operations by building its own modern fleet.
In terms of tug fleet construction, the program is currently in its final stages, the first sea-going tugboat was built in 2008, the first river tug was completed in 2009. The second sea tug delivery is scheduled for this week. Sea-going tugs were built by Leningrad Shipyard Pella.
Construction of the bunker vessel is to be completed in the third quarter of 2013.
Since 2006, MMC Norilsk Nickel has commissioned five ice-class container carriers, which make up the body of the Company’s sea fleet. Sea fleet ensures year-round guaranteed cargo delivery to Norilsk Industrial Area and export of commercial products to domestic and foreign markets. Annual freight turnover ensured by the Company's sea fleet along the Northern Sea Route totals 1 million tons, including 0.45 million tons of metals and 0.55 million tons of cargos for Norilsk Industrial District.
Since November 2011 the Company has successfully operated its own ice-class tanker.
MMC Norilsk Nickel, a company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation, is the largest diversified mining and metals company in Russia, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the world's largest producers of platinum, rhodium, copper and cobalt. In addition to this, MMC Norilsk Nickel produces a large number of other by-products, including gold, silver, tellurium, selenium, iridium and ruthenium.
The key production units of the Company’s group in Russia are at the Taimyr and Kola Peninsulas. MMC Norilsk Nickel international assets include operations in Finland, Australia, Botswana and South Africa.
MMC Norilsk Nickel’s shares are traded at MICEX-RTS. ADR’s on the Company’s shares are traded on the other the counter market in the US and at the London and Berlin stock exchanges.
Nizhny Novgorod region-based ZNT Yard (Zavod Nozhegorodsky Teplokhod) specializes primarily in the construction of buoy tenders, dive boats, harbor tugs and other workboats, as well as harbor equipment and marine engineering products.