Admiralteiskie Verfi lays down North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform
Saint-Petersburg based Admiralteiskie Verfi shipyard (a company of United Shipbuilding Corporation) says it has laid down the North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform of Project 00903 today, 10 April 2019, in the framework the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum.
The ceremony has been attended by Maksim Yakovenko, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet); Georgy Poltavchenko, Chairman of USC Board of Directors; Aleksey Rakhmanov, President of USC; Aleksandr Buzakov, General Director of Admiralteiskie Verfi JSC.
Aleksandr Buzakov, General Director of Admiralteiskie Verfi, referred to the keel-laying of the new vessel as a major step forward in the field of Arctic development: “Admiralteiskie Verfi has always served as a ground for implementation of new advanced projects and the North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform is a vivid continuation of that tradition. Together with Roshydromet we have been involved in this sphere for several years and today we can proudly proclaim that our developments start taking shape.
Maksim Yakovenko, head of Roshydromet considers the keel-laying of the North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform to be a landmark event for Roshydromet. “It is a paramount project for both Russia and the global Arctic science. Many of technologies planned to be used during the construction will be applied for the first time in the world. Admiralteiskie Verfi is a partner of utmost significance for Roshydromet. It has built our best expedition vessel, the Akademik Tryoshnikov, which is currently operating in the Arctic with flying colors. We hope for successful continuation of this cooperation – we have ambitious plans on construction of new expedition vessel for the Arctic and Antarctic”, he said.
The North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform is to be built to the order of Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring under the state programme on social and economic development of the Arctic zone.
The North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform is intended for round-the-year comprehensive scientific research in high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean. The all-season scientific-research platform with built-in equipment will be able to make geological, acoustic, geophysical and oceanographic observations, move in ice-covered waters without assistance of icebreakers, provide a helipad for МИ-8 АМТ (Ми-17) helicopters and serve as a polar station offering comfortable and safe conditions of work and accommodation with ambient temperature of up to 50 Celcius degree.
The contract for designing and construction of the North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform (Project 00903) was signed by Admiralteiskie Verfi JSC (Admiralty Shipyards) and Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) in April 2018. The contract foresees the delivery to the customer in 2020.
Specifications of the ice-resistant platform: length – 83.1 m; breadth – 22.5 m; displacement – about 10,390 t; power propulsion unit – 4,200 kW; speed – at least 10 knots; hull strength - Arc8; fuel endurance – about 2 years; service life – at least 25 years; crew - 14; scientific personnel - 34. Class notation: KM(*) Arc5[1] AUT1-C HELIDECK-F Special purpose ship by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
Admiralteiskie Verfi JSC (Admiralty Shipyards) has an extensive experience of building ice-class ships. In 1959 it built the world’s first nuclear-powered icebreaker, Lenin; in 1979 – scientific-research ship Otto Shmidt; from the beginning of 2000 – a series of five 20,000 DWT ice-class tankers; 70,000 DWT Arctic tankers, Mikhail Ulyanov and Kirill Lavrov; scientific and expedition ship Akademik Tryoshnikov.
