Keel of Norilsk Nickel tanker laid down
The German shipyard Nordic Yards has started construction of a new Arctic-class tanker for the Russian mining and metallurgy major Norilsk Nickel.
The vessel is expected to be delivered by the end of September 2011. A total of €100 million has been invested in the project, web site Portnews.ru reports.
Norilsk Nickel has over the last years worked hard to develop its own independent logistical chains in the High North. The aim is to be able to handle practically all the company’s shipping and goods loading operations in the Arctic without outside assistance.
In October this year, Norilsk Nickel’s ice-classed vessel “Monchegorsk” became the first cargo vessel to sail the entire Northern Sea Route without icebreaker assistance.
Specially constructed to cope with year-round deployment in Arctic waters, the new Arctic tanker will have a length of around 170 meters and a beam of approx. 23 meters. With a load-carrying capacity of around 19.000 tons, the ship will provide a cargo tank capacity of over 20.600 cubic meters. It will be able to break through ice floes up to 1.50 meters thick in the Arctic Sea at a speed of 2 knots.
The tanker will supply fuel and lubricants to Dudinka and transport gas condensate from Pelyatkinsky gas field (Taimyr) to the mainland.
