The first dredger built under the leasing programme is to be delivered in 2023
The plan on construction of technical ships for Russia’s inland water ways by 2024 numbers 101 units including 8 dredgers, 54 buoy tenders, 27 survey vessels, 6 ecological vessels and 6 service vessels, Konstantin Anisimov, Deputy Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot), said at the 6th Hydraulic Engineering and Dredging Congress organized by IAA PortNews.
According to the speaker, the construction of 25 unit including 4 dredgers, 6 buoy tenders, 14 survey vessels and one ecological ship intended for lake Baykal was completed between 2019 and 2022.
“It is very satisfying that we began to receive survey vessels with advanced survey complexes allowing for a quick and efficient transfer of ship passages on many rivers so as not to conduct large-scale dredging,” said Konstantin Anisimov.
As for the modernization of the dredging fleet, multi-bucket dredger Leonid Bykov was delivered to Moscow Canal in 2022, and non-self-propelled dredger Vladimir Panchenko was built for the Lena basin. A series of non-self-propelled dredgers of project 4395 was designed on the basis of Vladimir Panchenko dredger (developed by Stapel design bureau).
“3 units have already been built. Besides, four more vessels of that design are under construction. They will be delivered to IWW administrations in 2023-2024. Two vessels are under construction in Gorodets, one is being built by Port Kolomna under a subcontract, and one more - by Khabarovsk Shipyard, which is part of USC. Those dredgers are being built in the framework of the federal investment program,” added the Deputy Head of Rosmorrcheflot.
Moreover, Rosmorrechflot has launched a programme on construction of dredgers involving the State Transport Leasing Corporation (GTLC). The first dredger built under the leasing programme, Project 93.159 (designed by Rechflot and being built by Lotos shipyard) is to be put into operation in 2023. “There are three more dredgers in the series. The project was started together with our Dutch partners. Since they have left the project we are currently looking for alternatives to replace foreign equipment with the domestically-produced one,” said Konstantin Anisimov.
The leasing programme also foresees the construction of shallow-draft dredgers for small rivers. They are planned to be used on waterways involved in the northern delivery programme. A large series of ships is now being built at Tsimlyansk Marine Engineering Plant. The main feature of these vessels is that they can be disassembled within a short time, loaded into a car and transported to a new location.