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The stevedoring company Novotrans (SC Novotrans) reported on January 20, 2021 that the CNF05 project railway ferries " Baltiysk" and "Ambal" transported 5.6 thousand cars on the Ust-Luga - Baltiysk line in July-December 2020. Cargo transhipment growth in wagons amounted to 51%.
 
SC " Novotrans" in the second half of 2020 increased the amount of cargo handled at the ferry complex in the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region) by 43% compared to the same period of 2019. RO-RO cargo was handled 61% more.
 
A total of about 465,000 tonnes of cargo were handled at the terminal in July-December 2020. Including about 5 thousand units of RO-RO cargo, etc.
 
"The growth of transhipment capacities and the intensity of the ferry complex's operations have been facilitated by the technological reconstruction of the terminal, the reorganisation of cargo and transport flows and the implementation of an efficient business model carried out by Novotrans Holding.
 
In total, 1.1 million different cargoes were transshipped at the ferry complex in 2020, and for the entire period of operation of SC Novotrans, about 1.5 million tonnes were handled at the terminal. In 2021, work to modernise and increase transhipment capacities will continue," said Denis Mechev, Director of Operations at SC Novotrans Ferry Complex.
 
Railway ferry "Baltiysk" has been modified according to the design CNF05 of the Marine Engineering Bureau by the shipyard "Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH", Bremerhaven, FRG for FSUE "Rosmorport" (was put into service on 14 July 2006).
 
The ferry began its first commercial voyage from the port of Ust-Luga to the port of Baltiysk on 7 September 2006.
 
"Baltiysk" is an unrestricted-area vessel designed to transport Russian standard railway trains with a gauge of 1520 mm and rolling machinery, 20 and 40 foot roll-on roll-off trailers, including dangerous cargo.
 
The CNF05 project ferry provides transportation of various cargoes between the Kaliningrad enclave and "Greater Land", without passing through the territories of the neighbouring Baltic States.
 
The architectural and structural type of the ferry is a steel, three-deck, twin-propeller vessel, with engine room aft and superstructure in the bow, double-bottomed, bulbous bow and transom aft ends.
 
The vessel is ice-supported, allowing it to operate in winter conditions in the Baltic without an icebreaker escort.
 
Class of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping KM UL A1 ro-ro ship.
 
The main characteristics of the CNF05 project "Baltiysk" ferry:
 
overall length is 187.36 m;
overall breadth is 22.0 m;
depth is 18.95 m;
draught (Summer waterline) is 6.5 m;
deadweight is 9879 tons;
total tracking length is 1943.3 m;
tank-wagon (length between coupling gauges of 12020 mm) capacity is 135 units;
railroad wagon (length between coupling gauges of 16970 mm) capacity is 92 units;
passenger cars capacity (arrangement on the upper open deck) is 76 units;
crew consists of 16-20 people. It is permitted to transport 12 passengers.
 
The hull is made of high strength steel with a yield strength of 355 MPa. The decks, sides and double bottom are made in a longitudinal framing system.
 
ER double bottom is made by the transverse framing system.
 
Rail profile was mounted into special deck deepening that allows to roll on wagons and vehicles onto the same cargo places. Strengthened longitudinal beams made of bulb profile with height of 300 mm were mounted into rails' sections. Permissible load onto wagon axis is of 23.5 tons.
 
Railway trains are arranged onto 3 cargo decks. There are 5 tracks onto each deck. Rolling on the ferry onto the middle deck is carried out through stern gates/ramp. Lifting and lowering of wagons and vehicles from the middle deck onto upper and lower decks are carried out by two-level lift with cargo lifting capacity of 94 tons. Upper and lower lift platforms have cargo areas with the length up to 28 m, equipped with clamping stopper for wagon wheels and socket for lash fastening.
 
Railway wagons' transferring along the vessel is carried out by turning switches, mounted fore at upper and lower decks and 7 vessel multi-purpose tractors (unilocks).
 
76 passenger cars can be placed onto upper open deck. There are removable ramp bridges for loading and discharging vehicles at ports that have no coast bridges.
 
Two diesels with capacity of 8000 kW each with 425 rpm (main engine) work for variable-pitch propeller each. Main engine provides cruising speed of 18.5 kn with full charged cargo load capacity.
 
Main engines use heavy fuel oil (masout) with viscosity of IFO380.
 
Automatic anti-list system provides leveling of ferry's list that appears during cargo operations and keeping list value into permissible limits. System starts to operate when ferry's list is more than 0.5 degree and levels it into limits of ±0.35 degree. Pair of anti-list tanks are used as stabilizers during sailing.
 
Vessel's maneuverability during stern berthing of the ferry complexes provides by two variable-pitch propellers with diameter 3.70 m and by two streamlined semi-balanced rudders and two thrusters located fore with capacity of 880 kW each. Automatic winches are used for facilitation of berthing with coast bridges and vessel's station keeping during cargo operations.
 
Light signals' system and blocking system provide safety of cargo operations' carrying out (cargo elevator is not operated until roadway gates are lowered and buffer stops that are preventing entry onto the lift are activated).
 
Fixed buffers and branches of the vessel's compressed air system (for air brake system activation) are mounted at the end of every track for wagons' locking. Chain lashes with turnbuckles and levers, jacks and stop blocks are used for wagons' and other vehicles fastening.
 
Dangerous goods safety transportation provides due to:
 
• water sprinkler system that provides cooling of under-deck space;
• water drainage of cooling space with capacity not less than 125% of water income capacity;
• carbon dioxide fire-fighting system;
• automatic fire detection system;
• immediately start of fire main system and providing simultaneously work of 4 fire-fighting lines;
• ventilation system of cargo space that provides 25 air changes per hour;
• usage of explosion-proof electrical equipment;
• construction fire-fighting structure;
• air temperature, humidity and content control systems, etc.