Ceremonial signing of acceptance/delivery certificate for diesel-electric icebreaker Novorossiysk (Project 21900М) built by Vyborg Shipyard (Leningrad Region) was held on 26 December 2016, in Saint-Petersburg.
IAA PortNews reports that the ceremony started with a minute of silence in memory of those killed in the crash of Tu-154 in the Black sea on 25 December 2016.
Aleksandr Solovyov, Director General of Vyborg Shipyard, thanked those who took part in construction of the series of icebreakers. He said:
“The icebreaker is already fully operational. In early January she will go to sea to perform icebreaking operations”. The Director General emphasized that the shipyard had built three icebreakers on a turnkey basis. “The shipyard has confirmed once more its ability to build on a turnkey basis sophisticated vessels for the development of Russian Arctic,” summarized Aleksandr Solovyov.
Andrei Tarasenko, Director General of FSUE Rosmorport, highly praised the series and thanked the shipbuilders. He highlighted timely delivery of the icebreaker and the company’s demand for such vessels.
“This will be the fortieth icebreaker of our company. There is an extensive plan for their deployment, such vessels are of enormous demand.”
The Novorossiysk will operate in the Arctic.
“The icebreakers are also expected in the Gulf of Finland, we work at the Route (the Northern Sea Route – Ed.) and provide support to operation of platforms. New requests come from Dikson. We need more icebreakers of this type, we will order more,” said Andrei Tarasenko.
The Novorossiysk built with application of the cutting-edge technologies is able to break through 1.5-meter-thick ice. Fuel endurance of the Novorossiysk is 40 days. The ship has a heli-deck. The vessel is intended for escorting independently large-tonnage merchant ships, providing towing service, fire fighting at floating vessels and other facilities, assistance to stricken ships, transportation of cargo. The icebreaker will be operated by the North-Western Basin Branch of FSUE Rosmorport in the water area of the Baltic Sea in winter period and in the Arctic seas in summer-autumn period.
