Germany: Special Arctic Tanker Nordic AT 19 Built by Nordic Yards Starts Sea Trials

Nordic Yards, the manufacturer of technologically sophisticated, innovative special ships and maritime structures, is sending the special Arctic tanker “Nordic AT 19″ on its test voyage Yesterday. The ship, commissioned by the Russian mining company Norilsk Nickel, will be handed over by the dockyard on time at the end of September.

In March 2010 Norilsk Nickel, one of the ten largest companies in Russia, placed the contract for the construction of the “Nordic AT 19″. In July 2010 Nordic Yards started construction as planned with the cutting of the first steel plates. The tanker will be deployed between the North Russian ports of Dudinka and Murmansk. The special ship can navigate completely autonomously in Arctic waters without being accompanied by icebreakers.

“With the test voyage of the ice-breaking tanker Nordic Yards is about to hand over on time the first contract of the strategy on which we are focusing, i.e. the development and production of Arctic ships,” says Vitaly Yusufov, owner and Managing Director of Nordic Yards. “The employees and I are proud that with this we are handing over one of the most technically sophisticated and innovative special tankers to Norilsk Nickel.”

With this delivery Nordic Yards is continuing the successful collaboration with Norilsk Nickel. In the past four ice-going and ice-breaking container ships have been built in the shipyards, making an important contribution to solving the transport tasks of the group with their high quality.

The ship of the type “Nordic AT 19″ with the Arctic ice class ARC7 is designed in accordance with the climatic conditions for temperatures of up to minus 50°C and is envisaged for use in Arctic waters twelve months of the year. At a speed of 2 knots it can break through ice up to 1.50 m thick. With a length of around 170 m and a beam of approximately 23 m, the products tanker offers a deadweight capacity of 18,500 tonnes and a cargo tank capacity of more than 20,600 m³. Part of the diesel-electric machinery is made up of a gondola propeller that can rotate through 360° and thereby allows the tanker excellent manoeuvrability. The open water speed is 15.3 knots.

[mappress]

Source: Nordic Yards, August 24, 2011; Image:nordicyards