An official launching ceremony for “Astrol-3”, third multipurpose dry cargo carrier of Project RSD59 to be delivered to Russian shipping company Astrol, was held at Okskaya Shipyard (Shipyard OKA), December 22, the RSD49 designer Marine Engineering Bureau said.
The ship was ordered by State Transport Leasing Company (STLC) with Astrol as a leaseholder.
The construction of 15 vessels of RSD59 series is underway at Oskaya Shipyard. First five vessels will be delivered to Petrotrans and the next ten – to Astrol. The first four vessels have entered service with the two companies’ fleet.
The RSD59 series vessels are being built to Volgo-Don Max class and have the maximum possible dimensions to transit the Volga-Don Canal.
The RSD59 series vessels were designed for transportation of break bulk, bulk, container, timber, grain and oversize cargo, dangerous goods (Classes 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, 9 IMDG Code and BC Code’s Appendix B in the Caspian Sea, in the Mediterranean, Black, Baltic, White, North Seas, including sailings around Europe and to the Irish Sea in 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.
The vessel’s class notation is КМ Ice2(hull; power) R2 АUT1-ICS BWM(T) CONT (deck, cargo holds Nos.1,2) DG (bulk, pack) of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping which meets all the requirements of international conventions in force at the time of the vessel's laying.
Deadweight at sea with draft of 4.706 m – 8,144 t; Deadweight in river with draft of 3.60 m – 5,320 t. The maximum length is 141.0 m, the overall width is 16.98 m, depth is 6.00 m. The capacity of cargo holds is 11,400 cubic meters. The operating speed is 10.5 knots. Endurance in sea - 20 days. Crew - 11, berths - 14. There is a sanitary cabin and a pilot cabin.
Lead ship of the RSD59 series “Astrol-1” was laid down on 28 January 2020 and entered service November 14, 2020.
About Shipyard OKA
Okskaya Shipyard, JSC (Shipyard OKA) is a modern shipbuilding enterprise and subsidiary of VBTH division of UCL Holding specialising in the construction of oil tankers, medium-tonnage dry bulk carriers of mixed 'river-sea' sailing, containerships, special crafts and barges. In 2015, the Company became the second largest shipyard in Russia in terms of total tonnage of completed and delivered newbuildings.
