Page 12 - Журнал Sozvezdye Review - «СОЗВЕЗДИЕ» #39

Сегодня Архангельская область
является центром ремонта
и технического обслуживания
морских и речных судов,
обеспечивающих снабжение
арктических проектов,
а также ледокольного и
вспомогательного флота those with years of experience in servicing the north-
ern shipowners. For the ordering customers, access to
With multiple facilities for the timely, quality, cost-effective maintenance service is
repair of sea and river vessels that as important as the yard’s capacity to provide repairs
taking into account the specific nature of the Arctic-
supply to Arctic projects, as well going ships.
as the icebreakers and auxiliary Overall, Arkhangelsk-based shipyards have been
vessels that assist the ships within demonstrating adequate performance: The number
of ships scheduled to be repaired and modernized at
sea channels and port waters, their berths is growing from year to year, while the
Arkhangelsk Oblast is the heart yards themselves continue with their investment pro-
of ship repair and maintenance grammes and new technology implementation plans.
However, there exist three challenges that can threaten
industry the Arkhangelsk Oblast’s reputation as a major source
of Arctic-going ships repair unless addressed through
the collaborative effort of the state and businesses.

Orders and opportunities Dock wanted

With multiple facilities for the repair of sea and These challenges have found reflection in the cur-
river vessels that supply to Arctic projects, as well as rently developed regional programme for enhancing
the icebreakers and auxiliary vessels that assist the the competitiveness of commercial ship repair pro-
ships within sea channels and port waters, Arkhan- viders. The first of them relates to acquisition and
gelsk Oblast is the heart of ship repair and mainte- construction of floating docks. Many of Arkhan-
nance industry. Together with the growing cargo gelsk’s ship repair yards have a significant shortage
traffic along the Northern Sea Route, the increase in of ship-lifting capacity, while services such as repairs
polar shipping contributes to more shipyards orient- on propeller-rudder system, sea valves, outer plating
ing themselves to servicing the Arctic-going cargo and hull painting below waterline can only be done
carriers, fishing boats, auxiliary fleet, as well as en- on ships in lifted position, with lifting being an inte-
gineering and modernizing ice-reinforced ships and gral part of dock repairs.
SOZVEZDYE #39 offshore facilities. There are currently only two year-round floating
Arkhangelsk Oblast is home to a whole number docks in Arkhangelsk Oblast with capacity for Arc-
of civil shipbuilding and ship repair yards – Kras- tic-going ships repairs. Commissioned in the late
судостроение naya Kuznitsa (Arkhangelsk-based branch of Zvyoz- 1960s – early 1980s and owned by Krasnaya Kuznit-
sa and Arkhangelsk Trawler Fleet Maintenance Base,
dochka Ship Repair Center), Arkhangelsk Trawler
shipbuilding Fleet Maintenance Base, Optimist Group, Arkhan- these two have a lifting capacity of 9,000 ton and
gelsk Fleet Maintenance Base, to name a few. The lo- 2,500 ton, respectively, and are pretty booked.
cal ship repair facilities are employers to more than Unfortunately, even with dock repair schedules
11,000 people. With challenging ice and climate con- set well in advance, the ship repair provider may not
ditions, the special nature of the polar shipping re- always guarantee that a ship receives repairs as sched-
10 quires the local ship repair providers to be highly uled. This leads to shipowners failing to meet their
competent, serving as a competitive advantage for cargo delivery obligations before the customers in the