News of our company

The staff of the Marine Engineering Bureau congratulates the North-Western Shipping Company with 95-year anniversary of the company.
In the recent history of domestic water transport, since the 1990s the North-Western Shipping Company (NWSC) has been a leader in modernization the existing fleet of river-sea vessels (Omsk type, Siberian type, Volzhsky type, Volgo-Don type, ST type).
 
We are sincerely glad that in this grandiose work there is a small share of our assistance to the shipping company.
 
Call to memory, the modernization of the 05074M vessels for the RS class notation KM L4 R2-RSN. Modernization project is based on idea of usage of high continuous longitudinal hatch coamings (of 3.5 m height using existing coamings) that allow due to significant section height increase to enhance simultaneously standard of general strength of vessel's hull (иH 56%), cargo holds' capacity and deadweight in accordance with requirements of International Load Lines Convention. Existing coamings and previous upper deck were the most loaded elements that worked out their fatigue resource. These elements appear now in the zone closed to the neutral axis of the equivalent beam, so they are excluded from the general hull bending; such situation allows keeping them as hull elements. Inertia moment rise of the high transverse section (while keeping bottom thickness) allowed to increased bottom section modulus by 42%.
 
Forecastle height was increased for 1.7 m to improve seaworthiness qualities. Moreover, sides' shell between decks in aft area was mounted, so full scale poop superstructure was generated.
 
Conventional vessel's deadweight was increased from 4350 tons up to 6067 tons (by 1717 tons or by 39%), cargo holds' capacity rose from 6441 up to 9404 cub. m (by 2963 cub. m or by 46%).
 
Modernized dry-cargo vessels of "Volzhskiy" type have got technical and economic characteristics that significantly exceed same ones before re-equipment; such enhancing allows these vessels to be successfully operated in the conditions of the river-sea and marine transportations.
 
Just with their characteristics the new dry-cargo vessels are compared with.
 
In 2009 group of the UCL Holding and NWSC after long discussions formulated the requirements for a prospective perspective river-sea dry cargo vessel for the NWSC, that are assigned for transportation of general, bulk, timber, grain and large-sized cargoes, dangerous goods of 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, 9 classes of IMDG Code and cargoes of category B of IMSBC Code; sailing regions are Mediterranean, Caspian, Black, Baltic, White, North Seas, including voyages around Europe and to Irish Sea in winter.
 
This is how a new RSD49 prj. was created; she refers to the "Volga-Don Max" type due to MEB internal classification.
 
"Volgo-Don Max" is one of the most popular river-sea class.
 
RSD49 vessel's feature is a big middle hold of 52 m long as diversity from all other "Volga-Don Max" type projects designed by MEB. This hold allows to transportation of large-sized cargoes in direct voyages from Europe to Caspian Sea; such point should significantly increase economic effect of vessels' operation.
 
The British Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) included the lead RSD49 vessel "Neva-Leader 1" in the Significant Ships of 2012.
 
RSD49 prj. of the NWSC became a new generation standard of dry river-sea cargo vessels.
 
Ten new DCV36 "coasters" of the NWSC (built in 2011-2012) are assigned for transportation of general, solid bulk, scrap, grain, coal, timber, heavy and large-sized cargoes, ISO 20' and 40' containers with height up to 9.5' (including ref containers), dangerous goods of 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, 9 classes of IMDG Code and cargoes of category B of IMSBC Code. Overall length is 89.96 m, calculated length is 84.89 m, breadth is 14.5 m, depth is 7.5 m, summer freeboard draught is 6.40, deadweight for this draught is 5039 t.
 
The single cargo hold is designed of the box-shaped smooth-wall type, convenient for carrying out the freight works and placing a cargo without stowing. The cargo hold sizes are of 60.0 x 11.50 x 9.20 m; that ensures placing 3 tiers of 9.5' containers or large-sized cargoes. Cargo holds capacity is 6230 cub.m. Double bottom is designed for distributed load intensity of 14.0 t per sq.m.
 
The fundamental difference between coasters and river-sea vessels is coasters' intensive operation just in marine conditions; enough big summer freeboard draught; unrestricted area of navigation; and also that at scantling length less than 85 m the largest deadweight of "coasters" does not exceed, as a rule, 4500 tons while cargo hold capacity is about 200 thousand cubic feet and gross tonnage is less than 3000.
 
Usually such vessels have deadweight of 4500 t and less; DCV36 has 5000 t at Finnish-Swedish ice category 1B (Ice 3 according to the RS Rules). Such combination was rarely made for domestic river-sea dry-cargo vessels and ones with limited navigation areas.
 
The Marine Engineering Bureau wishes its colleagues further success in the difficult task of renewing of the domestic fleet.