CNIIMF presents conceptual design for Arctic boxship (photo)

On November 10, 2015, Central Marine Research and Design Institute (CNIIMF) presented a conceptual Arctic boxship design within the frameworks of Science & Technology Council. According to the Institute’s press center, the design has been developed by CNIIMF in cooperation with Marine Engineering Bureau as an R&D work under the state contract with Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot).

The meeting of CNIIMF S&T Council was attended by Aleksandr Olshevsky (Northern Sea Route Administration), Vladimir Dmitriyevsky (Murmansk Shipping Company), Vladimir Losev (representative office of Murmansk Region’s Government in Saint-Petersburg), Dmitry Krutov (FBOL), Lev Nikulin (SCF Unicom), Sergei Sereda (SCF Arctic).

The concept of an icegoing container carrier for the high-latitude zone of the Northern Sea Route is based on round-the-year operation of the Arctic container line. Cargo base for this transit line can be formed by coastal trade cargo as well as imports and transit cargo flows between European and Asia via two large hub ports being built in Russia (Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).

The models have been elaborated by CNIIMF for operation at the Northern Sea Route depending on the load, type of icebreaker support, type of marine fuel; technical and economic assessment and feasibility study has been performed, optimal characteristics of the vessel’s basic model have been determined.

Based on the research and the feasibility study, four variants of a container carrier have been presented, Three of them are Arc7 class ships with equal power and the capacity ranging between 2,000 and 4,000 TEU. The forth one, 4,000 TEUs in capacity, has a higher ice class and the power sufficient for independent navigation in ice covered waters. The calculations have been made for two types of icebreaker support, for both designed cargo base and full carrying capacity.

Cost-effectiveness analysis made for the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Murmansk line showed the best capacity/operational costs balance: Arc7 ship with the capacity of 3,000 TEUs operating on IFO-180 will make some 20 voyages per year; carrying capacity is about 46,000 TEU per year; payback period – 17.5 years.

Icebreaking capability with the designed draught should be at least 2.1 meter for both ahead and astern running.

Marine Engineering Bureau has developed technical specifications for designing as well as rough and preliminary designs.