Primorsky Region, November 15 - Neftegaz.RU. According to Rosneft, 1st steel cutting ceremony for the 2nd Aframax-class tanker of 114,000 deadweight tons took place at Zvezda shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen.
The ceremony was attended by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Acting Governor of Primorsky Region, Oleg Kozhemyako. The ceremony signaled the beginning of serial manufacturing at Zvezda shipyard of modern heavy-tonnage vessels for crude oil and products transportation.
Aframax tankers will be the 1rst vessels of such type built in Russia. Lead tanker launching is scheduled for 2020. The lead vessel keel was laid in open-air heavy filling-out ways on September 11, 2018, as part of the visit to Zvezda shipyard of the President Vladimir Putin.
The 1st steel sheets were cut by high precision plasma gas cutting machine. The most advanced shipyard in Russia is equipped with high-tech machining techniques that allow using high precision methods of metal marking, welding and cutting, including laser. To build the vessels, inspection technologies are used based on noncontact measurements and 3D-modeling, modern technologies that allow controlling operations at all stages, from documentation development to vessel commissioning.
According to Igor Sechin, the launch of Aframax-type vessels has particular importance for the whole country. «The 1st part of the shipyard's production capacity was put into operation in 2016-2017. The largest dry dock in Russia is being built a year ahead of schedule. Rosneft provided pilot loading of the new shipbuilding complex by signing contracts for the construction of 25 vessels,» - Igor Sechin said.
Sechin also stressed that the launch of Aframax-type vessels is not only an indicator of the growth of technological, production, personnel potential of the shipbuilding industry, but also a matter of national security and independence.
To read the news in Russian.
