Two Environmental Service Vessels Launched at Zvezda Shipyard (Russia)

Two Environmental Service Vessels Launched at Zvezda Shipyard (Russia)

Two newly built environmental service vessels—the boom layers and oil/debris skimmers of the R 2010 design were launched at Zvezda shipyard. The compact and maneuverable vessels are intended for emergency oil spill response situations, debris collection and many other uses typical for harbor vessels.

The twins, built at Zvezda shipyard, a part of Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center, were christened RN Posiet and RN Askold.

 The solemn ceremony took place at the observation site of the basin dock and was attended by the yard personnel, the management of FESRC and Rosnefteflot, the administrations of Primorski Krai, Bolshoi Kamen City and Schkotovski Area.

 “I am certain that we can congratulate Primorye citizens on the event. After all, both vessels will be home ported in Prymorye which means that the local ecosystem in our ports’ waters will improve. We hope to have more similar vessels,” Andrei Spichenkov, Deputy CEO for FESRC, remarked. “Even the longest journey begins with a single step. Simultaneous delivery of two small merchant vessels is the first definite step into the contemporary history of the merchant shipbuilding industry in the Russian Far East. FESRC has crucial public tasks ahead of it; they are merchant shipbuilding and gas and oil tankers besides naval shipbuilding and repairs. The shipway construction of an ice-rated shuttle tanker by Zvezda nears completion. The Zvezda employees proved their competency to construct ships of diverse types and varying sophistication. Ships will be mass produced in the future when the modern Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex has been put into service.”

 “These vessels are unique within the Far Eastern watershed,” Alexander Kovalenko, Principal Engineer for Rosnefteflot, CJSC, further noted. “We wove the performance-improving solutions into the vessel design process that advanced the capabilities of the vessels while Zvezda workers succeeded in realizing the design concepts in steel. These days we are reviewing the construction of more such vessels for other Far Eastern ports.”

Maxim Ubinin, Head of Merchant Shipbuilding Services for Zvezda FEY, JSC, remarked that the job was quite a challenge. Many issues had to be adjusted and modified on the spot. But the Zvezda employees met the challenge with flying colors.

The high point of the ceremony was vessel christening. Breaking of a champagne bottle on the side of the ship is an ancient maritime tradition meant to protect the crew from the perilous sea.

Andrei Spichenkov, Deputy CEO for FESRC, Genadi Slugin, Acting Director for Zvezda FEY, JSC, and Alexander Kovalenko, Principal Engineer for Rosnefteflot, CJSC, signed the Launch Report for the vessels.

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Zvezda Shipyard, May 20, 2013