Construction of dry docks, one of the largest world, at Zvezda Shipbuilding complex is coming to an end, Rosneft says in a press release. Pre-commissioning operations are in progress. The unique hydraulic engineering installations measuring 485 by 114 by 14 metres creates unlimited possibilities for construction of ships of any possible size and complexity. The dry dock will be commissioned 4 years ahead of the scheduled time.
At the moment Zvezda specialists in cooperation with Federal Environmental Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) and the Department of State Expertise are testing the dry dock and the facility’s equipment to ensure readiness of machines and mechanisms for work. Previously, in order to control the filter system of the hydraulic engineering installations, the dry dock was filled with water. The floating dock gate has been winded and installed. It separates the dock chamber, the bottom of which is below the water level, from the sea waters. The technological shutter was delivered to the dock in order to split the dock area into separate independent boxes in order to build several ships at once. The dock was equipped with 4 crane towers with lifting capacity of 60 tonnes each and the Goliath gantry crane with lifting capacity of 1,200 tonnes. Pre-commissioning operations are in progress.
Zvezda Shipbuilding complex is being constructed by in the Far East by the Rosneft-led investor Consortium upon the instruction of President of Russia Vladimir Putin. The following facilities have already been put into operation on Zvezda Shipbuilding complex: the hull production workshop, painting booths, the open heavy outfitting slipway equipped with a park of unique cranes and a state-of-the-art ship transportation system, and the floating transfer dock. The workshops built made it possible to start the construction of a number of ships before the completion of the second stage.
At the moment the Shipyard's order portfolio amounts to over 40 vessels - 59 vessels including options. The Shipyard's pilot throughput is provided by Rosneft that placed an order for 28 vessels. Zvezda’s product line will include vessels of up to 350 tonnes displacement, components of marine platforms, ice-class vessels, commercial vessels for cargo transportation, specialty vessels, and other types of marine equipment of any complexity, characteristics and purposes, including those that had not previously been produced in Russia due to the lack of required launching and hydraulic structures.
Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex will rival foreign shipyards and provide Russia with a civil fleet to develop offshore fields and smoothly operate the Northern Sea Route--the shortest route between Europe and Asia.