Primorsky Krai pioneers domestic catamarans projects
Vladivostok-based Vostochnaya Verf Shipyard plans to complete before the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the first three passenger catamarans of capacity of 223 passengers each. The serial high speed crafts were designed by Composite Shipbuilding LLC (the Pacific Design Bureau).
The Primorsky Krai (Territory) Governor Vladimir Miklushevsky has recently inspected the shipyard where he was informed about the newbuilds construction and new ideas of ships’ designers.
Today, the new passenger crafts at competitive prices are in great demand in all regions of Russia, which have access to waterways. Actually, common projects in this shipbuilding segment promise shipowners payback periods exceeding 20 years, which can hardly encourage investors to fund such project. Therefore, the domestic passenger fleet is comprised of largely aging vessels. Primorsky Territory has now become the only region that is ready not only to supply to the Russian market the project of inexpensive and roomy passenger ship, and is able to build in a short time such vessels.
The idea of Composite Shipbuilding LLC is to build composite catamarans, which reduces the construction time, the weight of the hull while maintaining its strength characteristics, and, consequently, increases the passenger capacity. The first two vessels were delivered to St. Petersburg in the autumn of last year and have been transporting locals and guests of the Northern capital.
"Actually, this is the first time Vladivostok has built for St. Petersburg vessels, and the first high-end solutions ever supplied to the Northern capital from the Primorsky Territory, as far as I remember,” the Governor was quoted as saying.
Three more crafts will take aboard in September the guests of the APEC summit and will be operated in Vladivostok as the regional property. On June 5th, the Governor of Primorsky Krai visited the shipyard to inspect the construction of these catamarans. General Director of Vostochnaya Verf Igor Miroshnichenko said the launch of the first vessel is scheduled for late June 2012, and by August the catamaran will be delivered to the Customer - the Primorsky Territory Administration. As the top manager of design company Sergey Voloshenko told the governor during the inspection of the yard, Composite Shipbuilding plans to lay keels of lead ships of three series of catamarans in early June. This will be the beginning of the first phase of a joint project of Composite Shipbuilding and JSC ROSNANO to create in Russia the production of high-speed crafts manufactured of composite materials using nanotechnology in the future. The industrial application of nano-technologies in the construction of catamarans will begin in the framework of this project in 2014.
Main production facilities of Composite Shipbuilding are supposed to be located in Vladivostok. But the expansion of shipbuilding production requires new yards. So, yesterday, in the shipbuilding shop, rented by Composite Shipbuilding, the governor was presented the project of creation of a new enterprise encompassing 4 hectares. The plot of land for this project has not yet been chosen, but the governor has vowed in the near future to review the project in detail and help with allocation of the territory in the Primorsky Territory.
Since the end of 2011, Composite Shipbuilding has been manufacturing in St. Petersburg catamarans applying industrial assembly. The distribution of newbuilds orders between the two yards will be determined in August 2012, said Voloshenko.
The Customer of new serial ships is Vladivostok-headquartered Eurasia Shipping, which implements in several Russian regions a number of projects with the use of passenger ships made of composite materials.
The series line includes three projects: 4 boats of PACIFICO PATROL 167 (high-speed patrol boat, featuring high seaworthy and speed characteristics), 40 vessels of PACIFICO EXPRESS 30 (passenger catamaran with a capacity of 30 passengers), 10 vessels of PACIFICO EXPRESS 150 (high-speed passenger catamaran with a capacity of 150 passengers). The vessels are scheduled for completion before the summer shipping season of 2013.
The cost of a boat of PACIFICO PATROL 167 project is RUB 49.5 million, of PACIFICO EXPRESS 150 project – RUB 87.5 million, of PACIFICO EXPRESS 30 – RUB 10.5 million.
The high-speed crafts project were developed in conjunction with leading design offices of Australia and New Zealand, which are the undisputed leaders in the design of high-speed multihull solutions. The construction is supervised by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
The official guests were also informed about the project of a tourist park “East Venice”, which will be set out on the fixed berth-connected vessels-platforms. The designers said the 10-year project worth RUB 500 million would boost flow of tourists up to 510,000 people a year and help create 500 new jobs. The governor and his aids observed the beginning of construction of new patrol boats ordered for the Far East department of Emergencies Ministry.
"These are very interesting shipbuilding projects and the Government of the Primorsky Territory will provide full support both at the regional level and will contribute to its promotion at the federal level. We need to expand the geography of orders. We should introduce these vessels at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum," said Mr. Miklushevsky.
At the end of the visit, the official added: "The projects that we have seen today, are innovative and have currently no analogues in Russia. I believe that the technologies being implemented at this enterprise deserve all the support from the government."
Nadezhda Malysheva reported from the Primorsky Territory.
Nadezhda Malysheva reported from the Primorsky Territory