The first ships of Yenisei River Shipping Company (ERP) on May 6, 2016 set out on its voyage to the Podkamennaya (Stony) Tunguska, kicking off this year's navigation season, the river fleet operator said.
At the same time cargoes are being loaded to ships at the ports of Krasnoyarsk and Lesosibirsk. Dry bulk vessels and non-self propelled barges will carry concrete products, cement, metal, containers with food, machinery, building materials, and oil barges are being charged with fuels.
Ice breakup in the river was forecast to begin on May 8-10 and the ships need to get to the mouth of the river before ice drift so to use high water. Last ship laden with cargo is to depart from Krasnoyarsk on May 7, from Lesosibirsk on May 8. The entire fleet to enter waters of the Stony Tunguska's tributary on May 12. The river is considered one of the most difficult rivers in Russia for navigation. River fleet operators have only 10 to 14 days to complete seasonal deliveries of stockpiles to the Far North of Russia and leave the river before the river becomes shallow.
The vessels of Yenisei River Shipping will deliver about 15,000 tonnes of cargo, including supplies for remote northern villages and towns: Sulomai, Kuzmovka, Burniy, Poligus, Bikeat, Kuyumba, Osharova, Miryuga, Vanavara and others. In addition, about 40 oil tankers will deliver across Tunguska from the base Slavyanka of Kuyumbinskoye field to Tura village more than 12,000 tonnes of crude oil.
Upon completion of delivery on the Stony Tunguska Yenisei Shipping Company fleet will begin in mid-May operations on the Lower Tunguska and the Angara River. In the navigation season the fleet will deliver some 3,7 million tonnes of different cargo.
There are 460 river ships that will be engaged in shipping cargoes, including dry cargo ships, tankers, oil and bulk cargo barges, deck cargo combo barges, tugs and floating cranes.
Yenisei River Shipping Company was established as a state enterprise in 1931, incorporated in 1994 году. YRSC is the main carrier of cargo along the water routes of the Yenisei Basin. The company’s fleet numbers some 650 vessels with total capacity of about 680,000 t. The company has shipbuilding and ship repair assets and a number of other business units. Major customer and the controlling shareholder of the company is Norilsk Nickel OJSC.