Okskaya Shipyard launches 4th vessel for Volga Shipping

Launching ceremony of the fourth of a series of 10 universal dry cargo carriers was held on May 27, 2011 on Okskaya Shipyard. The newbuilds of project RSD44 were ordered for JSC Volga Shipping Company (part of VBTH majority owned by the group Universal Cargo Logistics Holding). The vessel was named "Captain Gudovich”, the Group’s press service reported.


New «Volga-max" class dry cargo ships of project RSD44 are intended for transportation by Russia’s inland waterways general, bulk, timber cargoes, grain, lumber, potash and fertilizer, sulfur, coal, paper, building materials, steel products, and up to 140 containers.


The RSD44 project ships will gradually replace the previous series of "Volga-Don” ships. New vessels surpass their predecessors in production efficiency, environmental friendliness, efficiency and comfort. The vessel specifications: length DWL - 138.9 m, beam - 16,5 m, depth - 5 m, coaming height - 2,2 m, fresh water draft 3,6 m DWT - 5,543 tons, salt water draft 3.53 m DWT - 5,562 tons, cargo hold volume - 7090 cbm; Russian River Register Class - + O-OL 2,0 (ice 20) A.


The dry cargo ships will be operated on the Volga-Don Ship Canal (VDSK), Volga-Baltic Canal, in the Azov Sea to the port of Kavkaz and in the Gulf of Finland. The vessels will be able to pass under the Neva bridges near St. Petersburg and under Rostov railway bridge (Rostov-on-Don) without lifting the bridges.


The first five ships of the series are scheduled for delivery until the end of 2011.


Navashino-based Okskaya Shipyard (Nizhny Novgorod region) was founded in 1907. JSC Okskaya Shipyard was established through privatization of the state enterprise Navashino Shipyard “Oka”. The shipyard specializes in building of multipurpose river and sea-going vessels. In 2004, JSC Okskaya Shipyard became part of VBTH majority owned by Universal Cargo Logistics Holding.


JSC Volga Shipping Company, founded in 1843, is one of the oldest and largest shipping companies in Russia. VSC specializes in transportation of cargo and passengers on inland waterways of the country. In the period from April 1 through December 1, 2010, the shipping company’s 188 cargo ships carried 5,5 million tons of cargo, a 21-percent increase year-over-year. The company owns and operates the fleet of 250 cargo and passenger vessels. Volga Shipping Company is part of the Universal Cargo Logistics Holding that consolidates a number of Russian stevedoring, shipping and shipbuilding assets.
(Source:http://en.portnews.ru)