On 26 April, St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University celebrates its 85th anniversary. As it was noticed by the acting rector Evgeniy Apollonov, the upcoming anniversary is a good way to remind the public about the role and significance of SPbSMTU in training highly qualified personnel for the needs of shipbuilding. Currently the University is actively preparing for the anniversary celebration.
This week, a meeting on preparing for the 85th anniversary celebration was held in St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University. The event was attended by the members of the Celebration Organizing Committee, pro-rectors and employees of SPbSMTU. Representatives of more than 20 enterprises including Admiralty Shipyards, Krylov Research Centre, Baltic Shipyard, Granit-Electron, Almaz, Malahit, Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard and others participated in the meeting as well.
The upcoming anniversary is not just a holiday for students and professors of the university, but also a big day for its graduates, who are now heads of industrial enterprises.
Representatives of shipbuilding and shiprepair enterprises expressed their willingness to assist the university in anniversary preparation. Their participation in organization and financing could be fitting a number of university premises out and purchasing some equipment for SPbSMTU.
Find out other news of this week in our final review.
Shipbuilding and Shiprepair
Russian shipyards to lay two new submarines
The fifth Yasen-M-type multipurpose nuclear submarine named Arkhangelsk will be laid by Sevmash on 19 March. On the same day, the third type-677 Lada non-nuclear submarine named Velikie Luki will be laid by the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint-Petersburg. Commander in Chief said that the propulsion systems of type-Lada submarines were improved according to the Navy request: noise reducing parameters were improved and power plant reliability was significantly increased for these submarines.
Russian Navy Commander in Chief suggests Kolomna Plant to work on a new principle of ships propulsion systems diagnostics
During his business trip in Kolomna, Russian Navy Commander in Chief, Admiral Victor Chirkov, visited JSC Kolomna Plant, where he held a meeting on ship diesel-generators supplies. In the meeting Chirkov thoroughly explained all the Navy Chief Command requirements to diesel products and suggested developing a new principle of ships propulsion systems diagnostics during operation.
A support vessel for Rosneft offshore fields in Arctic is the first one to be constructed at Zvezda dockyard
A support vessel for Rosneft offshore fields in Arctic will be the first vessel to be constructed at Zvezda dockyard in Bolshoy Kamen seaside town. This was announced by the director of Zvezda plant Yuri Filchenok. We are talking about building ice-class vessels to provide exploration drilling on the Russian Arctic shelf. These vessels provide exploration rigs with everything required such as drill fluids, drill pipes and shift crews to work there.
The agreements Crimean shipbuilders sign with enterprises from other regions total 500 million roubles
Crimean shipbuilders signed agreements with enterprises from other regions of Russia totalling 500 million roubles. The Head of Industrial Complex Development Department in Crimean Industry Department Elena Elektian said: "Subcontracting with several St. Petersburg enterprises is underway. Five or six enterprises of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region are closely cooperating with Crimean enterprises today".
Rogozin against building Russian ships abroad
On 28 February, during his visit to Zvezda shipyard being construction in Primorye, Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin stated that all the orders for building new ships for Russian Fleet in future should only be implemented by Russian enterprises. It is important to form a consolidated state order for all shipbuilding - not only for defence-purpose shipbuilding, but also for extractive and passenger shipbuilding, as well as for ice-breaker fleet and other types of marine equipment.
Leader to become the basis for an advanced aircraft carrier
Leader destroyer project will become a theoretical foundation for constructing an advanced aircraft carrier for Russian Navy. According to Former First Deputy Commander of Russian Navy, Admiral Igor Kasatonov, Leader destroyer is a good promising project. If Russia is able to build several ships of that type, they will become a theoretical foundation for constructing an aircraft carrier.
The number of military orders in Russian shipbuilding is increasing
During the last two years, a rapid increase in number of military orders is observed in Russian shipbuilding. In 2012, the proportion was less than 50%; in 2014, more than 80% of Russian shipyards' income was acquired from building warships, and in 2016 this proportion may increase by 5%. However, the construction volumes in general tend to reduce rapidly. In 2014, Russian shipbuilders constructed 177 civil and military vessels which is 41% lower than last year.
Krasnoye Sormovo plant to build two tankers on its own expense due to lack of customers
Krasnoye Sormovo plant in Nizhny Novgorod region is going to build two tankers on its own expense due to lack of customers. To keep the plant's workers occupied, the river-sea type tankers RST-27 are being built on the enterprise's own expense in spite of the lack of customers. The cost of one ship is claimed to be around $13 million. At the moment, the tankers are 90% and 65% ready respectively. Both vessels are scheduled to be completed by mid-2015.
Third Varshavyanka for Black Sea Fleet passes its sea acceptance trials
The third submarine of the Black Sea Fleet series named Stariy Oskol passes its sea acceptance trials. The trials will last for 15-20 days. The commissioning of the submarine to the Navy is scheduled for June. According to the report, the Black Sea Fleet is going to acquire six Varshavyanka type-636.3 submarines total; they are currently being built by Admiralty Shipyard in Saint-Petersburg in accordance with Rubin Central Design Bureau project.
Sevmash to build a nuclear submarine named Arkhangelsk
The official ceremony of laying the next-generation Yasen-M project multipurpose nuclear submarine will take place at the JSC PO Sevmash (a part of OSK United Shipbuilding Corporation) on 19 March. By the order of Russian Navy Commander in Chief V.V. Chirkov the submarine will be named Arkhangelsk.
Events
Donrechflot opens river navigation a month ahead of schedule
Donrechflot shipping company opened 2015 river navigation on 26 February - a month ahead of official transit navigation opening date. On 26 February, Ozerniy-202 tug together with D-4007M barge left Aksai branch of Donrechflot for loading barley in the port of Rostov-on-Don. From there the loaded barge with the tug will proceed to Kavkaz port.
Russian Navy to acquire around 50 ships in 2015
The Russian Navy will acquire up to 50 ships and vessels of different types by 2015, as declared by Admiral Viktor Chirkov, Russian Navy Commander in Chief. The Navy Shipbuilding program is set up for the period up to 2050. The Fleet intends to continue constructing ships capable to perform tasks at any distance from base.
Mistral-type helicopter carrier Sevastopol to pass its first sea acceptance trials in mid-March
Mistral-type assault helicopter carrier dockship Sevastopol that is the second LPD built for Russian Navy at STX France shipyards in Saint-Nazaire will be put to sea to pass its first trials in mid-March. Works on LPD-2 will be completed soon. Sevastopol sea acceptance trials will start in mid-March. According to the contract, its commissioning to Russian Navy shall take place in October 2015.
Cheremosh trawler with Russian crew held in Berdyansk by Ukraine
The Ukrainian authorities are holding the fish trawler with 19 Russian citizens on board in the port of Berdyansk since early February. Cheremosh trawler flying the flag of Ukraine entered the port of Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov on 30 January. The port administration detained the vessel on 2 February. According to one of the crew members' wife, the ship is currently at anchorage in the port of Berdyansk, and the crew is still on board.
The Black Sea Fleet to receive 3 warships and 2 submarines in 2015
Russian Black Sea Fleet will receive three warships, two new submarines and supply vessels this year. In 2015, the Black Sea Fleet will acquire at least one newest type-1135.6 patrol ship Admiral Grigorovich. The second ship of the same project - Admiral Essen - is currently at high readiness at Yantar Baltic Shipyard in Kaliningrad.
SPbSMTU Military Training Centre celebrates its seventh anniversary
On 6 March, it will be seven years since the foundation of Military Training Centre of St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University. The anniversary is not milestone, but still very pleasant. The Military Training Centre was founded in the University in 2008 in order to increase the efficiency of federal state educational institutions of higher professional education involvement in national security and defence support. According to the experience, the centre fulfils its tasks successfully.
Official flag-raising ceremony on the port-service vessel ВТН-73 takes place at the port of Sevastopol
The official flag-raising ceremony on type-03180 port-service vessel ВТН-73 took place at the port of Sevastopol on 4 March, ?page 303. The vessel was in Sevastopol to perform its tasks as a part of the Black Sea Fleet. One of the most progressive design solutions of type 03180-vessel is using washable separate cargo tanks which allows the vessel to carry various liquid cargo types simultaneously and replace them quickly if necessary.
Multipurpose boat joins the Caspian Fleet
The ceremony of rising the St. Andrew's flag on the first of the four type-23370 multipurpose modular boats and its commissioning to the Caspian Fleet took place at the mooring base of the Rescue Squad vessels of Caspian Fleet in Astrakhan region today. The fleet Command representatives, the manufacturers and the Caspian Fleet veterans gave speeches during the meeting and ceremonial parade. Within the sounds of the Anthem of Russian Federation, the vessel crew raised the St. Andrew's flag.
Monument to first Russian battleship Poltava unveiled in St. Petersburg
A monument to the first Russian fourth rank battleship Poltava was unveiled at Voskresenskaya embankment in St. Petersburg today; the Governor Georgiy Poltavchenko, the Head of Gazprom Alexey Miller and Russian Navy Deputy Commander in Chief Alexander Fedotenkov participated in the ceremony. The ship full size model is currently being constructed to become the first part of a new museum complex.
Incidents and Accidents
Maersk Garonne container ship takes the bottom near the entrance of the harbour of Australia
On 28 February, whilst entering the inner harbour of the port of Fremantle in Western Australia, Maersk Garrone container ship that belongs to Maersk company, took the bottom. The container carrier got stuck in the sand 500 meters away from the Southern Pier and stayed aground for a couple of hours until the tows refloated it.
Ship takes bottom near Kamchatka coast
The Russian fishing vessel Narval with 27 crew members on board took the bottom in Avacha Gulf near the Kamchatka peninsula coast on Saturday night. No one was hurt during the incident. However, the vessel got a hull breach near the engine room, and the water kept coming in through it. The vessel's engine was stopped. Narval was between Cape Shipunsky and Bechevinka bay, 80 kilometres away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Catamaran with three South African yachtsmen gets missing near Australia
A catamaran with three South African yachtsmen got missing near Australia on its way to Thailand. Yacht Sunsail left Cape Town on 14 December and last checked in on 18 January. At that time she was 2190 miles north-west from Australian city Pert. The yacht was supposed to arrive at Thailand port Phuket on 2 February. The water and food supply was enough for 65 days and now comes the 79-th day of the journey.
Bulk carrier Aleksey Afanasyev takes bottom
Bulk carrier Aleksey Afanasyev took the bottom on the route from Rostov to Turkey in Koluzaevsky rift in Azov district of Rostov region on the night of 3 March. According to preliminary data of Rostov region Emergency Management Department, the cause of the incident was a violation of navigation rules (driver's mistake).
2 ships collide in the port of Arkhangelsk
Ice-breaker Captain Chadaev and motor vessel Flinterduin collided at Arkhangelsk port exit due to insufficient distance between them. The motor vessel following the ice breaker did not maintain the distance. 15 people were on board the motor vessel, luckily no one was hurt. The motor ship continued its way after the inspection.
Foreign Colleagues
Finnish shipping concern Viking Line submits its report for 2014
Total sales of Viking Line Abp during 2014 totalled 527.4 million euro which is 4% lower compared to 2013. This figure includes ticket sales, trading, additional services on board and ashore, as well as other commercial activity. Operating profit amounted to 13.7 million euro, and pure financial gain – 18.6 million euro. Consolidated revenue of Viking Line Abp increased by 11% and reached the amount of 30.6 million euro after tax.
Canada postpones Arctic port opening till 2018
Canadian Military Department again decided to postpone the opening of a new Arctic port that would have allowed the country to guard its sovereignty over the resource-rich region. The project of deep-water naval installation in Nanisivik located 3.1 thousand miles north from Ottawa is one of the key ideas of prime-minister Steven Harper's policy of strengthening Canadian positions in Arctic. Initially, the port had to be opened in 2012, but the commissioning dates were postponed to 2018.
Celsius orders four chemical tankers in China
European shipping company Celsius ordered four chemical tankers by Chinese shipyard Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry. The contract for constructing four chemical tankers with stainless steel tanks of 24,600 tonnes deadweight was signed on 3 March. After signing the contract, the total Chinese dockyard's stock of orders for the construction of tankers with stainless steel tanks will be 14 vessels of average deadweight of 25,000 tonnes.
