In September 2017, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia based Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation) laid down the lead multi-purpose dry cargo carrier of new Project - RSD59, says press center of Marine Engineering Bureau, the ship designer.
Under the contract with State Leasing Transport Company as the customer and shipping company Paula Rise as leaseholder, Krasnoye Sormovo is to build five ships of Project RSD59 with Nevsky Shipyard to deliver five more ships of this project. RSD59 ships of Volgo-Don Max class have the maximum dimensions to sail along the Volga-Don canal.
The vessel is designed for transportation of general, containerized cargo, timber, grain, oversized cargo and dangerous goods of 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, 9 class in accordance with IC IMDG and Appendix B of the BC Code in the Caspian, Mediterranean, Black, Baltic, White and North Seas including sailings around Europe and in the Irish Sea during winter season.
The new series is a successor of RSD49 design which had three holds. RSD59 ships with extra full hull forms have a unique second hold, the largest among Volgo-Don Max ships.
One of the main advantages of the RSD59 project is a large hold (77.35 m long) allowing for transportation of oversized project cargoes on direct Europe-Caspian routes, which should significantly affect the overall financial result of the operation.
The project is designed for the class KM Ice2 R2 AUT1-ICS of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and meets all the requirements of international conventions in force at the time of the vessel's laying.
By displacement the vessels of RSD59 project are by far the largest of dry cargo vessels satisfying the dimensions of the Volga-Don shipping channel.
Deadweight in the sea with draft of 4.50 m – 7,505 m; Deadweight in river with draft of 3.60 m – 5,200 m.
LOA – 141.0 m, BOA – 16.98 m, depth – 6.00 m. Capacity of cargo holds – 11,400 cbm. Operational speed – 10.5 knots.
Main Engine power – two 1,200 kW engines running on 380 cS fuel.
Endurance in sea - 20 days.
Crew - 10, berths - 14. There is a sanitary cabin and a pilot cabin.
Expected service life of the hull - 24 years.
Krasnoye Sormovo PJSC is one of the oldest shipbuilding companies in Russia, founded in 1849. Throughout the 75-year period, more than three hundred submarines and rescue vehicles including 25 nuclear ones have been built and modernized by Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard. Today, Krasnoye Sormovo builds vessels of commercial fleet meeting the requirements of international conventions on reliability and safety. Some of Krasnoye Sormovo tankers are in the list of Significant Ships of the Year by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA).