Employees of the "Lotos" production site of the Southern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC) in Astrakhan have begun mooring trials of a cutter suction dredger (project 93.159). This was reported by the corporation's press service.
The technical vessel is being built under a contract with the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) for Rosmorrechflot. This is the third dredger out of four of project 93.159, which are being built in Astrakhan.
The plant's specialists will check the functionality of the ship's life support system mechanisms, engines, communications equipment and electronics.
They will test lifting mechanisms, fuel systems and cooling systems. Then the tests of the propeller-rudder complex with control from the wheelhouse will begin.
The dredger is designed for dredging operations. The vessel moves with the help of two independent azimuth propulsion units (the executive part of the main ship power plant).
The first two dredgers of project 93.159 were put into operation in 2023 and 2024. Now the vessels operate in the Volga and Dvina-Pechora basins.
Characteristics of project 93.159:
- Length — 50 m
- Width — 11.88 m
- Board height — 2.97 m
- Average draft with full fuel supply — 1.3 m
- Soil extraction depth — 10 m
- Productivity — 900 m³/hour
- Speed — 12 km/h
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