A floating transfer dock with a lifting capacity of 40,000 tonnes has been delivered and moored to the berth of Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex.

The floating transfer dock is one of the shipyard's key elements. It is designed for heaving off large-sized marine vessels 300 m in length and over 50 m in width with a launching mass up to 40,000 tonnes, as well as marine equipment, like drilling platforms and their pieces (bases and topsides).

In addition, the dock can be used to lift from water items subject to repair and then transfer them to the berth or heave them off, and also to tow a ship or a drilling platform item within the navigation area.

The dock was built by Chinese BSIC on commission of the Russian shipyard.

The new equipment will ensure Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex' manufacturing ships of the very types and sizes that Russian companies had to order abroad owing to a lack of manufacturing facilities in Russia. Companies will be able to increase economic efficiency of large-scale projects through placing orders for vessel production on the Russian shipyard.

The floating transfer dock is another piece of unique equipment at the disposal of Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. The open outfitting slip has already been equipped with four portal jib cranes with a lifting capacity of 320 tonnes, four gantries with a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes, and a unique Goliath crane with a lifting capacity of 1,200 tonnes. The crane equipment has been massively used for production since 2017.

Following the towing, the floating dock anchored at the roadstead in Ussuri Bay and was delivered to the shipyard's own waters in 3 hours. The dock is moored to the staff place at the heavy open outfitting slip of the shipyard.

As of today, Zvezda's portfolio amounts to over 25 contracts for construction of Aframax tankers, Arctic shuttles, supply vessels, and a shallow-draft icebreaker.

Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex has about 1,500 employees at the moment, 87% of whom live in the Far East. The shipyard intends to hire about 2,000 more professionals of various areas of expertise this year. By 2024, the number of employees will exceed 7,000.

The shipyard is actively negotiating with potential customers to ink a range of new contracts, including orders for ice-class tankers, supply vessels, gas-carrier ships, and auxiliary fleet vessels.

In addition the largest dry dock in Russia under construction, the transfer dock will expand the production capabilities of Zvezda shipyard, ensuring launching of ships and marine equipment under construction from an open heavy outfitting slip.

The dock was built and delivered under the timeline specified by the contract. The floating transfer dock was constructed and tested subject to the rules and control of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

 Rosneft Information Division
July 25, 2018