New tugboat of Project 02980 which is under construction at Pella shipyard (Saint-Petersburg) has been named Polar Convoy, says press center of RF Defence Ministry.
The tugs of Project 02980 are designed to perform ranged services: towing of seagoing vessels, floating units and structures in the ice and clean waters, supplying offshore facilities with equipment and materials, fast supply of personnel and goods, assisting construction at offshore facilities in the sea, participation in salvage operations, providing assistance to stricken ships, conduct SAR operations and evacuation of people, providing them with medical care, rescue operation in areas of shipping, offshore oil and gas fields, extinguish fires on floating and shore-based facilities, extinguish burning oil on the sea surface, and response to oil spills.
Also the tug can assist in cargo transshipments at ports, operate on shallow waters and coastal shelf, support diving works. The ice class tug is able break the 1-meter-thick ice at a speed of 2÷5 knots and escort ships at speed of 10 knots.
Leningrad Shipyard Pella was founded in 1950 and privatized in 1992. The holding incorporates a head company and a number of subsidiaries. The shipyard specializes in construction of tug boats for Russian customers.