Spotted: Sovcomflot Welcomes New Icebreaking Support Vessel

Russian shipping company Sovcomflot has named Yevgeny Primakov, a new multifunctional icebreaking platform supply vessel.

The flag raising and naming ceremony for the 24,472 BHP newbuild took place in Saint Petersburg on February 3, 2018.

Featuring a length of 104.4 meters and a width of 21 meters, the vessel has a market value of USD 130.96 million, VesselsValue’s data shows.

Built at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, the 3,670 dwt Yevgeny Primakov is designed for operations in the difficult ice and navigational conditions of the Far East Sea Basin.

“The Far East region has been and remains a priority area for operation of Sovcomflot Group vessels – our company has been consistently expanding its presence there, serving the key energy projects on the Sakhalin shelf. The company’s fleet servicing the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects numbers 20 vessels,” Sergey Frank, President & CEO of PAO Sovcomflot, noted.

As explained, the vessel’s design and equipment mean it can ensure the safe operation of offshore oil and gas production platforms through preventing the formation of hummocks and heavy ice fields around the platforms, by breaking any surrounding ice formations.

Yevgeny Primakov will also provide standby search and rescue support all year-round. It will be able to respond to potential emergencies and carry out underwater engineering and repair works where necessary, according to Sovcomflot.

The vessel’s propulsion system allows the ship to sail through ice up to 1.5 m thick with a snow cover of up to 20 cm. Yevgeny Primakov can normally provide sleeping accommodation for 70 persons and in the event of an emergency can accommodate up to 150 people.

Yevgeny Primakov sails under the Russian flag and has Saint Petersburg as its home port. It is manned by an all-Russian crew of 26 people.

Image Courtesy: Sovcomflot