It is the second ship in the series of nine RSD59 dry cargo carriers intended for Alfa LLC
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia based Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard (a company of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) says it has launched the Alfa Mercury, dry cargo carrier of RSD59 design, today, 23 October 2020.
“Today we are completing our delivery programme of the current year, – said Mikhail Pershin, General Director of Krasnoye Sormovo. – Alfa Mercury is the tenth and the last ship to be delivered in 2020. This year, we have also delivered the Mustay Karim passenger ship, so we can safely say that our company has fulfilled its tasks”.
The head of the shipyard also reminded that it was the second ship in the series of nine RSD59 dry cargo carriers intended for Alfa LLC. It will be delivered to the customer upon completion of mooring and sea trials.
“Our company has attended the second launching of RSD59-design ship, – said Valery Svinukhov, Director of Shipbuilding Department, Alfa LLC. – The first ship has successfully undergone all the tests. The ceremony of ship registration will be held next week in Taganrog. Then it will be put into operation for transportation of grain”.
“Nizhny Novgorod companies have been repeatedly confirming their leadership in Russia’s civil shipbuilding. Krasnoye Sormovo is among the flagships in the industry having launched numerous ships of Project RSD59 and other projects over the recent years. Being loaded with orders till 2022 the shipyard has a promising outlook for a long-term period”, said Andrey Sanosyan, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
According to a tradition, a bottle of champagne was smashed over the hull when the ship touched the water with Kristina Ovcharova acting as a godmother during the ceremony.
In December 2019, Krasnoye Sormovo and STLC signed new contracts on construction of nine dry cargo carriers under the option for signing contracts on construction and delivery of 20 ships of RSD59 design. The previous three series of RSD59 design number 20 ships with Krasnoye Sormovo being the leader among domestic shipyards building dry cargo carriers of this project.
RSD59 ships of Volgo-Don Max class have the maximum dimensions to sail along the Volga-Don canal.
They are intended for transportation of general and dry bulk cargo (including grain), bundled and round timber, metal scrap, metal coils, oversize/overweight cargo, coal and dangerous goods of B class.
The vessel is designed for transportation of general, containerized cargo, timber, grain, oversize cargo and dangerous goods of B Class in R2 navigation area with waves up to 3% and standing off a place of shelter within 100 miles (distance between shelters should not exceed 200 miles), inland waterways of Russia (with some restrictions).
Key particulars of the ship: LOA – 140.88 m; Breadth – 16.98 m; Depth – 6 m; River/Sea DWT – 5,128/7,535 m; Cargo holds capacity – 11,292 m; Number of holds – two, River/Sea draft – 3.6/4.53 m, Endurance - 20/12 days.
Class notation: КМ Ice2 R2 АUT1-ICS CONT (deck, cargo holds Nos.1.2) DG (bulk, pack).
Project RSD59 designer is Marine Engineering Bureau – Design SPb. Working design documentation was developed by Volga-Caspian Design Bureau.
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).
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC OJSC) is the largest shipbuilding company in Russia. It was set up in 2007 with 100% federal ownership. The holding comprises 40 companies and organizations (major shipbuilding and shiprepairing companies as well as leading design bureaus). Currently, USC consolidates the bulk of the domestic shipbuilding complex. The Russian market is the main focus of the state corporation though it also exports its products to 20 countries worldwide.