Construction of four shallow-draft icebreakers is under consideration in view of organizing year-round navigation on the Russian inland waterways along the so-called 'Southern Horseshoe’ (the Astrakhan – Rostov-on-Don route), Andrey Lavrishchev, Deputy Head, Azov-Don Basin Administration, said at the 5th International Congress “Hydraulic Engineering Structures and Dredging” being held by IAA PortNews in Moscow. According to him, such icebreakers are most probably should be intended specifically for this sector. They are to break through ice of up to 0.9 m thick and to be operated by ADB Administration. Investments into the construction of icebreakers are estimated at RUB 28 billion.
Besides, four pusher-tugs, three ice-class environmental response ships and six buoy tenders are needed under the project. This fleet is to be built in 2024-2030.
Specifications of the required ships will be defined upon obtaining the results of the related research which is to be completed by April 2022.
The project is aimed at ensuring nine-month long navigation season on the route with its further extension to eleven months. For that purpose it is planned to conduct reconstruction of 19 hydraulic engineering facilities, and reconstruction of dams of the Kochetovsky and Nikolaevsky hydrosystems. In the result, cargo traffic in this section is to grow by 4 million tonnes per year, the number of passages – by 100 ships per year. Investments into the project are estimated at RUB 89.8 billion.