News of our company

As Portnews site marks, "Recently we disturbed a theme concerning development of a corridor "North - South". One of conditions of its functionality is effectiveness of Caspian transportation fleet".
 
At the request of information - analytical agency Portnews, the senior scientific researcher of the Marine Engineering Bureau, Ph.D., Alexander Egorov has assessed the process of renewing of the tanker and dry-cargo fleet at the Caspian region.
 
It is possible to quote "Strategy of Development of the Russian Seaports in the Caspian basin, railway and automobile approaches to them during the period till 2030" (the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated November, 8, 2017, No. 2469-p). It says that dynamics of freight turnover in the region's ports depends on economic processes in other near-Caspian countries, in particular in Iran and also in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Besides prospects of freight turnover growth are connected with development of trading partnership with India and the Persian Gulf countries.
 
Therefore the cargo base and its forecasts are essentially important for understanding of development directions of commercial fleet. Thus it is necessary to examine not only the transportations focused exclusively at ports of Iran, but also at ports of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Besides there is freight traffic of crude oil from Lukoil drilling platforms at Northern Caspian that also demands presence of feeder tankers. It is necessary to take into account also transit cargoes for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan (e.g. theses of the Report of the Marine Engineering Bureau in Termez).
 
List of cargoes is clear: there are grain, ferrous metal, crude oil, petroleum products, and also the unified cargo places such as ISO type containers, wagons, car trains.
 
From here required vessels types follow: multi-purpose dry-cargo and container vessels, railway and automobile ferryboats, tankers.
 
The size of vessels is either of transit type (Volgo-Don Max type, Volgo-Balt Max type) or of Caspian type (i.e. some bigger which make impossible voyages through Volgo-Don; so work is able at Caspian sea only).
 
There are already such vessels today. Some of them works, some are under construction.
 

Ferryboats
 
This moment 19 marine ferryboats (of 5 different prjs.) are in operation at the Caspian Sea. 13 ferryboats are of railway-car-passenger type of 3 different prjs. (11611, 10802E, 0379). The rest 6 ferryboats are of car-passenger type: 4 ones of 161 prj. and 2 ones of 11612-B prj.; they are intend for transportation of passengers and ro-ro technics.
 
Mean age of these 19 ferryboats operated at the Caspian Sea is of 24.6 years, but many ones are older than 30 years.
 
The basic transported cargo is containers on railway platforms, oil and petroleum products, the foodstuffs and agricultural products, building materials, and also car trains.
 
On December, 13, 2019 Baku Shipyard solemnly launched the new head CNF18C railway-car-passenger ferryboat for Caspian Sea "Azerbaijan" for CJSC "Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company". The second one is under construction.
 
New "open type" CNF18C ferryboat is assigned for transportation of 56 railway wagons with 1520 mm track breadth and motor trucks (50 car trains), including ones with dangerous goods and passengers (estimation of 2 passengers for each car train). Ferryboat's construction foresees aft cargo handling scheme and is equipped with side ramp for loading/unloading vehicles from/to usual berth.
 

Tankers
 
In December, 2019 the Baku Shipyard has put into operation the head new generation RST12C Caspian oil/chemical tanker "Lachin" of 8009 t deadweight for CJSC "Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company". The three more one are under construction.
 
New RST12C tankers have a boosted "Caspian" function:
 
• 8009 t deadweight at Caspian draught of 4.54 m (RST27 tanker has 7030 t deadweight), increased is 979 t;
• capacity of cargo tanks is foreseen for oil and oil products at Caspian Region; capacity is increased by trunk raising up to 9190 m³ (RST27 has 8100 m³), i.e. there is 1090 m³ increase. Russian shipyards (Krasnoe Sormovo) successfully construct the analogy ones, namely RST27M tankers of "Balt-Flot" type.
 
For example, on December, 27, 2019 the RST27M oil/chemical tanker "Balt-Flot 15" of Volgo-Don Max class (river/marine deadweight 7030/5428 t) has unloaded in Makhachkala trading port the first party of diesel fuel from Turkmenistan.
 

Multi-purpose dry-cargo vessels with container function
 
RSD49
 
On June, 8, 2017 the Nevsky Shipyard has handed over the ninth RSD49 multi-purpose dry-cargo vessel "Atameken" of 7150 t deadweight of 289 TEU capacity to Kazakhstan customer. Vessel's delivery has passed in the Aktau port at the Caspian Sea. "KTZ Express Shipping" has received two RSD49 multi-purpose dry-cargo vessels "Atameken" and "Zhibek Zholy".
 
005RSD03
 
On April, 16, 2019 multi-purpose 005RSD03 dry-cargo vessel "Turkestan" of 225 containers capacity has opened container line from the Aktau port to the Baku port.
 
At feeder transportations one such vessel provides loading cargoes from two dull-sized container trains.
 
005RSD03 feeder vessels ply regular on a weekly basis that promotes escalating of freight traffic through Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the further development of containerization of freight traffic in the Caspian region. Trans-Caspian Route is a key part of the Eurasian transport arteries and supplements transit corridors system of Kazakhstan.
 
"We have accepted this 102-meters vessel which can transport 225 TEU. General capacity of the vessel is 5000 tons. She is a universal vessel that is able to transport both dry bulk cargoes and containers. There was a problem at Caspian Sea, absence of such line of regular container transportation. Containers transported from China to Europe spend now about 30 day in ocean. Thanks to the new through Caspian Sea line, time will be cut by half till 14 day. It is very important for those cargoes which have very short period of storage. The new line will connect not only two ports, namely Aktau and Baku, but also Asia and Europe.
 
All this promotes increase the transit flow through Kazakhstan. I think, our domestic manufacturers will use this line also" - the deputy general director on commerce of JSC National Marine Shipping Company "Kazmortransflot" Aydar Orzhanov has told.
 
Onega Shipyard is the builder of 005RSD03 vessels.
 
Two vessels of this project work in "KTZ Express" under the Kazakhstan flag, eight ones work in the Azerbaijan Caspian Sea Shipping Company, two ones are owned by shipping company Albros.
 
For example, at the end of 2019 same 005RSD03 vessel "Gafur Mamedov" owned by ACSSC transported 2856 tons of carbamide to Moldova from Turkmenbashy by transit through Volgo-Don Shipping Canal.
 
The existing infrastructure of the Caspian ports does not allow to use "pure" container vessels of big container capacity yet, because they will be loaded or unloaded for a long time.
 

Multi-purpose dry-cargo vessels
 
In April, 2020 the Krasnoe Sormovo Shipyard has completed running trial of already fifteenth built at the shipyard RSD59 multi-purpose dry-cargo vessel "Pola Yaroslava" of 8144 t deadweight.
 
Krasnoe Sormovo Shipyard has already built 12 multipurpose RSD59 dry cargo vessels and 8 more ones are at different step of construction, plus an agreement was signed for another 20 vessels.
 
Nevsky Shipyard has put into operation two RSD59 vessels, the third one was launched and 2 more ones are under construction.
 
Oka Shipyard has signed contract for more 15 RSD59 vessels (keels of 6 were laid down and the head vessel was launched on 03.03.20).
 
By other words, the total order for RSD59 vessels is 60 vessels for the moment (14 ones has been constructed, 26 are in work, and 20 are in option).
 
Vessels of the series can be operated for transportations 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. The new dry-cargo project RSD59, which is constructed in "super-full" ship lines with two dry cargo holds, one of which has a record length for Volgo-Don Max vessels, is the successor of the three-hold RSD49 series.
 
Advantages of the RSD59 project in comparison with the best of the previously constructed dry cargo vessels of the Volga-Don Max class of the RSD49 project (by the example of m/v "Pola Fiva" with increased marine function):
 
• the existence of a long L = 77.35 m hold (RSD49 vessel has L = 52 m cargo hold ) that allows transportation of oversized and heavy cargo; this is relevant for the market of the Caspian region countries;
• the hold's height is increased up to 9000 mm, that is 620 mm bigger than for RSD49 project. Such height allows to load 9'6'' containers ("high cube containers"), 3 ones in single stack;
• deadweight at draught of 3.60 m is 5320 t (RSD49 has 4507 t), increase is 813 t;
• deadweight at a draught of 4.20 m 6944 tons (RSD49 project has 6021 t), increased by 923 t;
• deadweight at the maximum draught of 4.706 m is 8144 t (RSD49 has 7143 t at maximum draught of 4.70 m ), increase is 1000 t;On November, 15, 2019 Oka Shipyard handed over the final eighth multipurpose RSD32M dry-cargo vessel "Anatoliy Nikolaev" of 6220 t deadweight.
 
RSD32M vessels refer to the "Azov 5000" type due to MEB internal classification, in other words their main target task is transportation of "classic" 5000 t grain lots from Azov and Caspian port at character draught for these regions of 4.20 m.
 
Philosophically, RSD32M vessels are intended to change morally and physically outdated vessels of Sormovskiy and Volgo-Balt types, which are actively operated just in this transportation segment.
 
RSD32M vessels has shorter theoretical length than other Volgo-Don Max ones, they are more inexpensive for construction and more economical at operation.
 
For characteristic for the VDSC draught of 3.60 m river deadweight is 3833 t. For characteristic for Azov and Caspian Seas draught of 4.20 m marine deadweight is 5157 t; the largest marine deadweight for draught 4.745 m is 6221 t.
 

Conclusion
 
It is necessary to understand clear the real cargo base, actual way conditions and technological abilities of Caspian ports and to receive serially built vessels for this cargo base. In view of known volatility of the Caspian market, it's better to have a cargo fleet which can be used at other areas (Black Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea) also.
 
Tankers of 60000 t deadweight, car ferryboat for 100 lorries and container vessels for 600 TEU which are discussed for an enough long time (with some interrupts), don't correspond to today's cargo base of the region. As a matter of fact, therefore they are not being constructed.