CAPACIOUS SEA-RIVER TRADERS FROM RUSSIA

The entire flotilla of eight 6,200dwt newbuilds was completed over the course of 2019, with the final vessel handed over as the Anatoliy Nikolaev (ex Navis-8) in November.

Designed by Marine Engineering Bureau (MEB) of St Petersburg, the ships embody the RSD32M type. One of the main criteria of the technical project has been to provide new capacity for shipments of up to 5,000t of grain from ports in the Sea of Azov and Caspian Sea, which impose a draught restriction of 4.2m. The design is intended as a successor to time-served ships of the Sormovsky and Volgo-Balt series.

The 123-metre RSD32m class affords wider, considerable trading scope by providing for navigation on the extensive waterway network of the western part of the Russian Federation (“European Russia”), accessing the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the White Sea and the North Sea. The robust type, powered by twin Japanese medium-speed engines, can also undertake winter voyages around Europe, and as far westwards as ports on the Irish Sea.

The multipurpose, ice-strengthened design embodies three holds of aggregate 8,800m3 volume, suited not only to grain but also coal, packaged and round timber, steel products and scrap metal, heavy individual items of freight, and IMDG/IMSBC-categorised hazardous goods. In addition, the hold spaces and weatherdeck hatchcovers offer 240TEU slots for containers.

The RSD32M provides a maximum sea-going deadweight of 6,220t at 4.75m draught, and nearly 5,200t when drawing 4.2m. For freshwater river navigation at 3.6m draught, deadweight is restricted to just over 3,800t.

The propulsion installation is based on a pair of six-cylinder Yanmar EY22AW diesel engines, each rated for 1,180kW at 900rpm, driving Schottel azimuthing thrusters Rudderpropeller-type. The arrangements confer a 10-knot speed in laden condition at 85% output, plus the requisite manoeuvrability for the operating profiles involved, abetted by a 120kW bow thruster. The main genset outfit comprises three 160kW aggregates.

Each vessel has a sea-going endurance of 20 days, or 15 days when working within the waterway system, and has 14 berths for 11 regular crew, pilot and supernumeraries.

Okskaya Sudoverf is located at Navashino, in southwest Nizhny Novgorod, connected by rail and inland waterways with Russian seaports. The company is a prolific builder of small cargo vessels and other tonnage, and has recently augmented its workload with a further series of 10 sea/river traders. These latest newbuilds have also been specified with Yanmar 6EY22AW medium-speed propulsion engines.