Conversion will help to expedite renewal of the Russian fleet

The question of the prompt renewal of the Russian fleet here some years is arise at the levels of government of the country, the separate ministries, considered in business - environment. And there are not the obvious opponents at this idea. However the complex of the problems which have ripened in shipping and ship-building branches, does not allow, even with corresponding political will, quickly enough to add domestic fleet a modern kind. One of decisions of a task of mass renewal marine and river vessels can be the conversion offered by the Russian River Register and the Marine engineering bureau.


Up to 2015-2020 minimal needs in new shipbuilding make about 350 merchant and more than 400 auxiliary ships for water sector of Russia economy. Construction of new vessels demands significant investments, resources, purchase equipment. Today's facilities of Russia shipbuilding yards (Krasnoye Sormovo, Onega, Oka Shipyard, Neva Shipyard, the Nobel Shipyard, Volgograd, Zelenodolsk, Kama) allow to hand over no more than 25 (in the long term 35) the most required vessels of “Volgo-Don Mаx” class per year. It is obvious break between opportunities of yards and needs of fleet. Therefore nearest ten - fifteen years the basic problem of Russia water transport will be maintenance of existing ships safe and economical efficient.


Average age of controlled by the Russian shipowners of sea and river - sea going vessels has exceeded of 25 years, and river vessels - over 30 years. Number of the new built vessels makes no more than 30 - 50 in a year.


As corollary of physical and moral aging expenses of vessel’s maintenance to keep it in safe condition have essentially grown, their operational qualities and competitiveness, especially in conditions of the low crisis market are steadily sunk. Presence of age - specific fleet and the further increase of human factor role are negatively reflected on safety of shipping and an environment protection. Therefore in 2010 there was a growth of accidents and emergency incidents of existent fleet.


Certainly, the basic means of the decision of such problem the shipbuilding should be, but axe of centralized capital investments, expensive credits, difficult economic situation of shipowners do not allow financing build of new vessels in quantity sufficient for service of usual volume of cargoes transportations.


Another decision

In modern practice there are a lot of schemes and procedures of keeping a safe and profitable level of existing ships operation are used. To traditional experience of vessels significant modernization and thorough repair the "conversion" (construction of new vessels with use of elements of existing ships) has been added in last ten years.

After completion of conversion works the shipowner receives a new vessel with the complete set of the documents approved by a Classification society, and the life time of a vessel should be started from date of conversion. As a rule, such conversion allows to change (if necessary) purpose of the vessel of all for 30-50 % from the cost of new vessel.

Certainly, the basic way of replenishing of merchant fleet by specialized vessels is the shipbuilding. However required transport unit in some cases is easier to get by vessel rebuild, change of her principal dimensions. In this case the time gain is achieved not only due to smaller duration of works, but also due significant reduction of terms of deliveries of the equipment (in fact it already is on the vessel) and due usage of ship – donor’ hull structures.

In any case conversion is cheaper than new shipbuilding and in conditions of finance deficit is more real.

Within last five years in operation are handed over nine dry-cargo vessels of river – sea navigation with deadweight about 6000 tons "Chelsea" type, two sea-going ferries with capacities of 50 railcars "Smat" type, 45-railcars ferry Avangard, 50-railcars ferry Slavyanin, the passenger vessel Imperiya for marine port of Gelendzhik, the dry-cargo ship with deadweight of 3800 tons Оmmax. These are successful examples of new vessels construction with usage of elements of existing one. Thus expenses for such new vessel have made about 30-50 % from cost of new built vessel under the classical scheme.


For instance, for building of one vessel project 005RSD06 Chelsea (with usage of elements of old vessels of projects 507, 507Б, 1565 types Volgo-Don) in January, 2008 have been spent about 5.2-5.5 million US dollars. Thus expenses for the hull have made about 2.4 – 2.7 million US dollars, purchase and overhaul repair of the equipment – 1.8 million US dollars, completion of conversion - about 1.0 million US dollars. At the same time cost of construction of a new-build serial vessel Volgo-Don Max class is about 14 million US dollars (2008).

Benefit of Obsolescence

Conversion of vessels allows to solve tasks of a life time extension and raise of safety in the shortest terms and the minimal expenses. Some vessels become outdated morally long before approach of limits a physical wear of their hulls and gears. And the premature obsolescence is not, as a rule, result of inadvertence while vessels design and construction; frequently them early to hand over on demolition and exit from such state can become modernization or rebuild.

As an example is domestic vessels of a river fleet which even after 20 years of operation in internal waterways have practically not worn out hulls and quite suitable gears. The economic circumstances have changed and they not meet they design purposes at all.
Contrary, the ocean vessels wear out is non-uniformly. In areas of the greatest hull wear its possible to use an effective block method of repair makes the minimal terms of vessels out of service. These terms almost do not increase at combination of restoring repair and dimensional modernization, i.e. by replacement of the worn out constructions by new, larger, dimensional modernization is rather effective.

Three ways - conversion of vessels abroad

Analyzing numerous cases of vessels modernization and rebuild abroad, it is possible to point out three basic technological directions. The first is to change of principal dimensions of a vessel by replacement of a part of her hull by new one. The second direction is increase of principal dimensions of a vessel by new insertions and/or bulges with use of all old hull. And the third is construction of multihull vessels based on single hull and also a partition of the hull on separate parts which after rebuild are used as independent floating structures.

For example, company Shell UK in 1989 had been considered rebuild of tanker Shell Craftsman (built at the end of 60th), including removal of main propulsion units. Three same type tankers, owing to British Petroleum Oil, before have passed modernization on yard of Wear Dockyard in Sunderland, main propulsion units have been replaced, renewed of tanks coating, etc. As hulls of vessels, as well as Shell Craftsman hull appeared in good condition, term of their service has been prolonged up to 15-20 years more. Rebuild of each vessel takes 2 months, cost of works has made 9.6 million US dollars. It is interesting to note that English yards on that period have not been loaded by commercial shipbuilding mostly at all, therefore similar works appeared very opportunely.


One of the basic directions of conversion is modernization of a multipurpose vessel to the specialized container carrier. There is accumulated a wide worlds practice of similar works, beginning of this works concerns on the middle of the sixtieth years (the period of mass retirement of Liberty type vessels).


As an example of similar modernization it is possible to consider result of conversion of a series of vessels Leverkusen, Erlangen, Ludwigshafen and Hoechst which have been built as multi-purpose vessels in 1970-1971 for trade on a line between port of Hamburg - ports of America. Their design type vessels are multi-deck, with the engine room located to aft, with forecastle, six holds, cargo cranes and derricks on a main deck. Vessels modernization have been carried out in 1979 in Bremen Vulkan yard, then vessels renamed as Leverkusen Express, Erlangen Express, Ludwigshafen Express and Hoechst Express; after completion of works vessels began to consider as new building.


During conversion yard has keep vessels aft and fore parts with execution of necessary modernization, has construct and install a new middle part of the vessel which sizes did not correspond to the sizes of old demounted. In result, the class and purpose of a vessel, her main characteristics has changed. Vessel after modernization became to take on board of 951 TEU (at three layers of containers on a deck), vessels speed (in a working range of powers of main engine) despite of increase of hull beam almost on 13,5 % and her lengthen on 10,0 % was decreased almost on 0,15-0,30 knots.


Accumulated world experience allows to conclude that conversion of merchant vessels in present condition of Russia economy is real (and for many ship owners probably even the only one thing) from practically stalemate situation when at prompt fleet ageing there is lack of money for new shipbuilding for non-governmental shipowners.
Conversion allows to prolong safe and profitable operation of existing ships in present conditions, helps to make bookings for domestic ship-building and repair factories yards and give work to people.

Gennady Egorov
Professor, Dr.Eng.
Marine Engineering Bureau General Director,
Specially for "PortNews"