News of our company

According to the information of press-service of "VF Tanker" Company (is a part of the UCL Holding), "super-fat" RST27 tanker "VF Tanker-14" (building No. 027004 at Oka Shipyard) with marine/river deadweight of 7022/5420 t, participated in complex special tactics oil spill exercises. Exercises were carried out near Vakarevo settlement in Yaroslav Region (527 km of Volga River).
 
In accordance with exercises' schedule, master of m/v "VF Tanker-14" (OJSE "V.F. Tanker") sent a distress call: during cargo operations a collision between the tanker and a bunker vessel took place. In the result of emergency situation, tanker has got a breach StB, 2 cargo tanks were unsealed, 2000 m³ oil spill of masut took place. Due to scenario, situation was worsening by fire on board the bunker vessel. Threat of regional level emergency situation appeared.
 
After sending distress call, crew of m/v "VF Tanker-14" (13 persons) very quickly start works for boos' arrangement and elimination of oil outflow from damaged tanks; sorbent was spraying onto "polluted" water surface.
 
In view of real weather conditions, speed of river flow and estimated maximal spill amount, professional rescue formation has been involved for elimination test extreme situation. Vessel crewmembers together with salvors arranged more than 1 km of booms; 4 skimmers were used to recovery oil from water surface.
 
To complete the exercises, actions due to costal protection and coastal oil pollution cleaning were tried out.
 
More than 100 people participated in the exercises. A number of organizations were involved in, as follows: Commission for prevention of extreme situations and maintenance of fire safety of the Yaroslavl Region and municipal formations, Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on the Yaroslavl Region, Transport Prosecutions Department, Inter-regional Environmental Prosecutions Department, Linear branch of State Department of Marine and River Control of RosTransNadzor. The general coordination was fulfilled by Chief Department of Ministry of Extreme Situations at Yaroslavl Region.
 
Taking into account scale and severity of consequences of the potential accident with oil spill, the necessity of the joint exercises for trying out cooperation of all structures is obvious. As a result of the carried out exercises, it was marked that all actions during eliminating test extreme situation have been fulfilled with the general positive grade.
 
Project RST27 was designed by Marine Engineering Bureau.
 
Britain Royal Institution of Naval Architects included RST27 in the list of the best vessels of the year (Significant Ships of 2012 and Significant Ships of 2013).
 
Series of RST27 tankers with an increased block coefficient is the biggest in newest history (since 1991) of national shipbuilding; during period from 2012, 35 vessels has been built and accepted into operation. Another 5 ones were launched and will be put into operation in the nearest months.
 
RST27 vessels have the record block coefficient 0.93; the head vessel showed speed of 11.7 kn during trials at running line with main engines power of 2100 kW (87.5% of full output) and fore/aft draughts 3.2/3.3 m.
 
New project tanker has increased river function comparing with other MEB projects. River deadweight of RST27 vessels is increased for 732 t comparing to Armadas, while:
 
• increased hull's strength (vessel is of R2 sailing region, or II region due to old RS classification);
• practically keeping the same fuel consumption;
• keeping increase capacity of cargo tanks.
 
Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping class notation is - KM Ice1 R2 AUT1-ICS OMBO VCS ECO-S Oil tanker (ESP).
 
As other river-sea going MEB tankers, RST27 vessels use full-turn rudder propellers as single movement and maneuver unit. They have increased trunk and use submersible cargo pumps. They have no longitudinal bulkhead in CL and no framing in cargo tanks.
 
RST27 vessels satisfy dimensions of the Volga-Don Canal and Volga-Baltic Way. Overall RST27 vessel length is of 140.85 m, breadth is of 16.6 m, depth is of 6.0 m. They belong to "Volgo-Don Max" class.
 
Special requirements of the Russian and world petroleum companies, additional ecological RS limitations of "ECO PROJECT" (ECO-S) class were taken into consideration during designing.
 
RST27 vessels are assigned for transportation of crude oil and oil products without flash point restriction.
 
Total capacity of six cargo tanks and two slop ones is of 8100 cub. m, deadweight is about 7022 tons with sea draught of 4.20 m. Deadweight is about 5420 tons with river draught of 3.60 m. Cruising speed is of 11.0 knots.
 
Cargo system provides simultaneously transportation of 2 cargoes. Cargo pumps capacity is 6 x 200 cub. m/hour. Two auxiliary steam boilers (capacity 2.5 t/hour each) are installed onboard.
 
Two medium-speed diesels (main engine) of 1200 kW each use heavy fuel oil with viscosity IFO380. There is 230 kW bow thruster.
 
Electrical plant consists of three 292 kW diesel-generators and emergency-staying 136 kW diesel-generator.
 
Crew consists of 12 persons (14 places + pilot).
 
Autonomy is of 20/12 days (marine/river).