STX gets order for two more icebreaker tugs

The vessels will be delivered in 2011, and the total value of the two contracts amounts to about NOK 450 million ($72 million). The Kazakhstan shipowner now has a total of five similar vessels under construction at STX’s Romanian shipyard in Braila. The first two, named Mangystau I and Mangystau II, were launched earlier in 2010 and are scheduled for completion in September and October respectively while the third unit is due in May 2011. JSC Circle Marine Invest will, through its subsidiary Caspian Offshore Construction in Kazakhstan, operate the vessels in the Kashagan field of the northern Caspian Sea.

The ships are designed by the STX Europe subsidiary Aker Arctic, and have a length of 65m, a beam of 16.4m and a 50 tonne bollard pull. Diesel-electric propulsion will be provided by Caterpillar high speed engines driving three Schottel azimuth propulsion units and two Schottel pump jets to provide redundant DP capability. The vessels will have the ice class notification 1A Super, according to the Finnish-Swedish ice classification rules. The newbuildings will be equipped and designed for other operations such as fire-fighting, rescue operations and towing in shallow waters.