News of our company

On September 13, 2011 the keel of tugboat of TG04M prj. (building No. is of 702) was laid down at "Nizhegorodskiy Teplokhod" (Bor, Nizhniy Novgorod, Sergey Konovalov is a general director).
 
Polar branch of OJSC "SMC "Norilskiy Nikel" is a Customer.
 
The TG04M project was designed by the Marine Engineering Bureau.
 
The new tug boat is assigned for:
 
• oadstead- maneuvering works with river going vessels and floating cranes;
• auxiliary works such as berthing, unberthing, handling of barges and vessels;
• vessels' placing in backwater during spring flood;
• ice-breaking works in the port of Dudinka during autumn period;
• placing of non-self propelled fleet for winter stand (placing over a distance from berth in autumn ice with holding until vessel freezes in.
 
A lot of "Neva-2009" visitors could watch film (stand of "Nizhegorodskiy Teplokhod" shipyard), that illustrated absolutely unique maneuvering qualities of "Portoviy 1", including "police U-turn" (terminology of motor-car enthusiasts).
 
Self-propelled dry-cargo vessels and tankers and also non-self-propelled barges have been built for river and river-sea going transportations for last years, as a rule. These objects directly transport the cargo ("earn").
 
At the same time existing tug fleet continues becoming out of date steadily. There were 55 vessels with the age up to 10 years, 101 vessels with the age from 10 to 15 years, 972 vessels with the age from 15 to 20 years, 2517 (!!!) vessels with the age from 20 to 30 years and 3119 (!!!) vessels with the age more than 30 years with the RRR class at the beginning of 2008.
 
Though in the river ports necessity of the new tug boats is very high due to extremely decrepitude of existing fleet.
 
Port of Dudinka that is included into Polar branch of OJSC "SMC "Norilskiy Nikel" is one of such ports. Polar branch is situated fully behind Arctic Circle on the Taimyr peninsula (part of Kranoyarsk territory. Transport connection of the branch with other country's parts is effected though Yenisei River and Arctic Way, and also by airplanes.
 
Port of Dudinka is situated on the right shore of Yenisei River ate distance of 230 km from river's mouth. This is departmental port that was build in order to provide needs of Norilsk Mining & Smelting Complex.
 
The tugboats of TG04 prj. series are the first of the new generation of river tugs and pushers that are built for operation into Russian internal waterways.
 
Auxiliary fleet operation in the port of Dudinka is connected with a lot of problems; main of them as follows:
 
• short navigational period (from May till October), so efficient fault-free vessels' work is required;
• long period of the winter stay with extremely low outer air temperature (below -50?C) and freezing into ice for deepness of full draught (including propulsion complex);
• annual ice-drift that may be accompanied with significant damages or even perish of vessels and port facilities.
 
Tugboat is assigned for severe Arctic conditions so:
 
• tug is designed for operation at extremely low outer air temperature;
• equipment and construction of the propulsion complex permit to put tugboat into operation at extremely low temperature from condition of full into-ice freezing;
• tug's hull is of reinforced type for operation in the conditions of freeze basin;
• tug's weight does not exceed 100 t for providing ability to raise tug onto berth for the winter stay (crane capacity restriction);
• tug's maximal draught does not exceed 1.80 m (due to depth of the boatyard where fleet is placed for the winter stay and due to way conditions of the Dudinka River);
• tugboat is able to fulfill works due to providing port fleet safety during ice shifting, so her overall dimensions should me of minimal type. Tug's pollard pull should be not less than 6 t; that provides ability to service all fleet owned by the Arctic branch of Norilsk Complex.
 
The project was designed for RRR class notation of O 2.0 (ice 30). Ice category is assigned higher that recommended by RRR Rules for vessels of O 2,0 type.
 
Keel of tug "Portoviy-1" of TG04 prj. (building number is of 701) was laid down on 12.09.08. She was launched on 27.08.09. Sea trials were finished on 07.09.09. The vessel was put into operation on 17.09.09.
Keel of tug "Portoviy-2" of TG04M prj. (building number is of 702) was laid down on 13.09.11.