The scope of dredging and hydraulic engineering works in Russia is expected to grow this year. A series of 20 units is to be built for operations on inland water ways. Damen shares its innovative technologies with the industry. Those and other topics were in the spotlight of the 3rd International Congress “Hydraulic Engineering Structures and Dredging”.

MSCC Bronka is the youngest and in many senses unrivalled terminal of Big Port St. Petersburg. In his interview with IAA PortNews, Aleksey Shukletsov, Executive Director of OOO Fenix (operator of Multipurpose Sea Cargo Complex Bronka in Saint-Petersburg), tells about Bronka development, logistic facilities construction, container market situation, prospects for application of innovative technologies.

In the end of 2019, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping amended the scheme of technical supervision in industry. Manufacturers now take over part of responsibility for their product quality control. Those having shifted to the new scheme are positive about this decision and see it as and advancement.

Shipyards worldwide are overloaded with orders for installation of scrubbers on seagoing vessels. Against this background, IMO starts discussing environmental hazards from discharge of scrubber washwater. Environmentalists are pushing for a ban on scrubbers and on the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic.

Coronaviral infection exerts a significant impact on cargo traffic, ports and shipping. The problem has touched the container flow from China and LNG transportation. Not only do stevedoring and shipping companies face difficulties, it is also a tough time for forwarders who run the risk of “holding the bag” due to delayed deliveries.

Despite general decrease of Russian cargo transshipment via the ports of the Baltic states and Finland, turnover of domestically produced mineral fertilizers grew in 2019 driven by their handling in Sillamae and Kotka. The situation can be reversed through liberalization of Russian laws and phasing out of agricultural imports.

According to Marine Rescue Service, over 100 offshore oil spills were registered in 2019. Rosprirodnadzor attributes them to insufficient equipment of emergency response teams and violation of bunkering regulations. Meanwhile, Rosmorrechflot announced earlier approved OSR Plans to be invalid over which Rosmorrechbunker applied to the Prosecutor's Office.

Baltic cruise companies are responding to new trends and developing new routes while building ships powered by alternative fuels. Tallink is set to arrange annual calls to Saint-Petersburg, Viking – polar voyages and ecotourism.

With the global upper limit on the sulphur content of ships' fuel oil reduced to 0.50% from 1 January under new IMO regulation, the bunkering market structure has definitely changed. Despite the toughened environmental requirements, the shipping industry has not faced insurmountable difficulties so far, operation of Russian ports is normal.

Sergey Gaidayev, head of Azov-Don Basin Administration, tells IAA PortNws about the 2019 navigation results and the progress of the Bagayevsky hydrosystem project implementation.