Flag-raising ceremony on board ASD tug Kuzbass
A solemn Russian flag-hoisting ceremony was held on board the Azimuth Stern Drive Tug (ASD) Kuzbass, the fifth tugboat commissioned with the harbor fleet of JSC Vostochny Port. The tug will start operations in early November 2012, when the stevedore will have all the necessary approvals and licenses, the company said. The tugboat was built at Chinese shipyard Damen and arrived in the port of Vostochny (Primorsky Territory) on September 4, 2012.
The stevedore company’s crew accepted delivery of the tug in the Port of Shanghai (PRC). Then the tugboat set sail and reached the port of destination in four and a half days.
The tug was named after one of the largest coal-producing regions of Russia. The vessel was built at Damen Shipyards Changde, part of Damen Shipyards Group.
Boat’s characteristics: length overall - 28.67 m, breadth - 10.43 m, maximum draft - 4.9 m, depth - 4 6 m, light displacement - 480 tons, fuel capacity - 72 tons. The tug is powered by twin Caterpillar main engines of 4200 hp. The ASD system with five-bladed propellers (diameter - 2400 mm) enables the boat to rotate 360 degrees. Bollard pull - 48 tons, operational speed - 12.7 knots. The vessel is equipped with a hawser winch forward for ship-assist and escort operations. The boat can be also equipped with fire pump of capacity of 600 cbm/h and foam fire extinguishment system, to employ the tug for fire-fighting operations at the port.
Vostochny Port JSC is the largest stevedore company in the Russian Far East operating in the Port of Vostochny. The company specializes in handling of coal using the conveyor equipment.The company’s assets include a Specialized Coal Terminal and Universal Terminal (PPK-1) for handling general and bulk cargoes (coal, coke, clinker, iron ore, timber, etc.) as well as metals, pulp, aluminum, chemical, heavy-lift and oversized cargo. In 2011, the stevedore handled 16.5 million tons, a 12 percent gain year-on-year.