Andrei Obukhov, Head of Baltsudoproekt CDB: “the demand for new designs is to grow”

Andrei Obukhov, Head of Baltsudoproekt Central Design Bureau, tells IAA PortNews about trends in ship design sector, CDB development plans, import substitution in shipbuilding, cooperation with foreign partners and personnel training.

- Mr. Obukhov, what are major achievements and plans of the Bureau?

- Baltsudoproekt is Russia’s oldest design bureau with a long history. Our projects have been used for construction of over 2,500 vessels. We are proud to have made and still making a considerable contribution to the development of shipbuilding in our country. As of today, Baltsudoproekt is among the largest design bureaus in Russia allowing for full-scale use of its potential to solve a wide range of tasks during the designing process. 

The composition and the structure of the Bureau let us work in close cooperation with all CDB specialists, be consulted at special profile departments of the Krylov State Research Center (Baltsudoproekt is its part from 1999) to find optimal technical solutions. 

As for the development, our key task for the nearest future is to increase our backlog of designs and orders. In general, we understand where and how to proceed but we need a more efficient interaction with shipyards and a higher level of technical documentation development, reduction of costs and terms. I am optimistic about the market development and expect the demand for designs to grow in the mid-term future. 

- Which sectors of designing are the most promising ones in your opinion?

- It is the development of sophisticated ships full of scientific and production equipment able to operate in severe climate.

Of course, it is the development of Arctic icebreakers, scientific ships, platforms, production complexes requiring (and we can provide it) special tests, analyses, supercomputer-based modeling of  ice/ship interaction processes, integration of ice-load monitoring systems for optimization of ice class vessels’ hull structures.  

Dealing with issues related to corrosion resistance, sonic and magnet fields, helps to set requirements for manufacturers of technological and shipboard equipment, thus integrating all those involved in creation of marine equipment.

Such an approach can provide data to be introduced into the regulatory documentation used when designing and operating Arctic facilities.

- Tell about the innovative designs developed by Baltsudoproekt. What are their specific features and advantages?

- There are quite a number of designs with innovative engineering solutions.  

Among them is an Arctic drillship intended for exploratory drilling on the shelf. This design features dual ship positioning system (DP and anchor mooring) and a special turret mooring system.

Another innovative design is Project 22740 shallow-draft icebreaker intended for operation in shallow waters of Arctic, Azov and Caspian Seas.  

The design is based on the 3-D parametric model which has passed an extended complex of model tests to apply innovative solutions for surface forming. 

With her considerable power and, consequently, ice trafficability, the ship can operate in shallow waters (up to 4 meters) in difficult ice conditions.

The design was developed in close cooperation with the heads and highly professional experts of the customer – Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, FSUE Rosmorport, captains of icebreakers, Aker Arctic and Nordic Yards.

- What do you think about import substitution prospects when it comes to ship designing and related sectors?

- Import substitution is a necessary measure, of course, despite the political environment; only with our own technologies we can estimate the efficiency of component imports. Crucial technologies, basic for production of major equipment and its key components should be localized in Russia.

- Do you cooperate with foreign companies or scientific centers in the sphere of shipbuilding?

- Shipbuilding has always been an international industry where designers, equipment manufacturers and shipbuilders practice different approaches and legal framework but communication has been quite practical. We still cooperate with our partners from China, India, Korea, Finland, Italy, Germany, Croatia.

- Do you feel any shortage of personnel? What is the average age of your employees? Do you cooperate with industry-focused educational institutions?

- It takes much time and effort to train a shipbuilding engineer and the employment market features a shortage of such specialists. If we add the experience criteria, their number considerably decreases. Therefore we work with industry-focused educational institutions, of course. Opening of dedicated department s and arranging practical training is among the ways to ensure an inflow of qualified personnel for us. 

With a good balance of young and experienced specialists, average age at Baltsudoproekt is about 41 years old. It may safely be said that our team can fully use its designing potential to meet a complete range of tasks at any phase of designing process. Each team member comprehends his responsibility even when it comes to minor issues, far from being crucial for the project.

Interviewed by Sophia Vinarova.