Shipping company Donrechflot opens river navigation one month ahead of schedule

Shipping company Donrechflot (DRF, part of Azov-Don Shipping Company) opened the river navigation of 2015 on February 26, one month ahead of official schedule.

According to ADSC, the first vessel was the Ozerny-202 tugboat with the D-4007М barge which left for Rostov-on-Don to be loaded with barley for further transportation to port Kavkaz.

One more vessel, the Volgo-Don 5043, commenced operation on March 2. Besides, tugboat ОТ-1506 with the barge D-4004М are to being prepared for operation.

In navigation 2015 года Donrechflot is to put into operation 11 tug/barge towing units and 10 self-propelled ships of inland navigation.

“Market situation and favorable hydrometeorological conditions allowed for early start of the navigation period”, Oleg Sidorkin, Executive Director of Donrechflot, explained. 

Some of the company’s river ships participated in winter navigation of 2014-2015 for delivery of cargo from port Kavkaz to its anchorage, servicing of vessels of DRF’s Aksai branch, operation at port Azov and water area of port Rostov-on-Don. 

Donrechflot OJSC is the largest shipping company in the south of Russia, operator of inland fleet and sea/river going vessels of ADSC Group. Major cargo flows of link the ports of Europe, Middle East, northern Africa and the Caspian sea.

Azov-Don Shipping Company is a transportation group, established in 2003. The Group is comprised of more than 20 companies, including shipping, stevedoring companies (Rostov Universal Port, the port of Ust-Donetsk, Universal Stevedoring Company), logistics and development companies. ADP operates a fleet of 73 ‘river-sea’ vessels (up to 7,000 DWT), 100 river boats of up to 3,000 DWT. The Company transports grain, coal, mineral fertilizers, construction materials, containers and general cargo. The Group’s stevedoring companies operate terminals of Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Region and Krasnotar Territory.