Average age of the bunkering fleet is 35 years and over
Nordic Engineering JSC has presented a concept design of a bunkering tanker (Project NE041) with tanks of 5,000 cbm, IAA PortNews correspondent cites Nikolay Shablikov, Chairman of the company’s BoD, as saying at the 16th All-Russia Forum "Current State and Prospects for the Development of the Russian Bunkering Services Market".
According to him, the tanker is intended for bunkering of seagoing ships with liquid fuel a flashpoint of over 60 °C and engine oils. It is a single-deck single-screw vessel with a double bottom and double sides in the cargo area, with four cargo tanks for diesel fuel, two cargo tanks for engine oil, a cargo hold for barrels of engine oil, two tanks of oily water, tank of separated fuel. Class notation: KM R2 RSN Arc5 Oil tanker <60.
When speaking at the forum, Nikolay Shablikov reminded that according to Russian Association of marine and river Bunker Suppliers (RosMorRechBunker) and bunker suppliers, average age of the bunkering fleet is 35 years and over. More than 350 ships with a deadweight of about 7 million tonnes are in service.
In the framework of the All-Russia Forum "Current State and Prospects for the Development of the Russian Bunkering Services Market", IAA PortNews analyzed the results of the market players poll. According to it, average age of bunkering ships in Russia is below 20 years old only in 13% cases. The need to upgrade the fleet with the newbuildings was mentioned by 71% of the respondents, through modernization of the existing fleet – by 24% of the respondents. Only 5% of the surveyed do not see any need to upgrade the bunkering fleet.
“The modernization of the existing fleet is a good alternative to the construction of new vessels in the current economic conditions. Modernization will both upgrade the vessel in terms of replacing obsolete equipment with new one, and make it possible to expand the functionality of the existing vessels,” said Nikolay Shablikov.
Availability of ship components is a separate problem amid the sanctions. An alternative to manufacturers who have left the Russian market are both Russian manufacturers and those from “friendly countries”. Nordic Engineering has a successful experience in the selection of equipment, the supply and maintenance of which is not covered by sanctions. The company cooperates with more than 30 Russian suppliers of components under cooperation agreements.
Nordic Engineering JSC was founded in 2009. The company specializes in designing ships and marine facilities of any type for any area of navigation. The company applies advanced technologies and 3D.