The keel-laying of two ice-breaking and salvage ships took place yesterday at Nordic Yards in Wismar. In the presence of the Russian customer and other guests, two of the first sections of each vessel, construction numbers 217 and 218, were laid on blocks.
After the flame-cutting on September 23rd, keel-laying marks the next milestone in the construction of the multipurpose rescue and salvage vessels (MPRSV).
Once delivered, the 88 metre long, almost 19 metre wide ships will be deployed on patrol and rescue tasks in offshore oil and gas fields by the Russian sea rescue service. Their ice-breaking capabilities make them suitable for use on the northern polar route, more specifically in the region between Murmansk and Sachalin. And thanks to their highly specialised fitting out, they can also be used in extreme weather conditions to search for and evacuate people in emergency situations, fight fires and oil pollution incidents as well as investigate the seabed and damaged objects in water up to 1,000 metres deep.
“Today, we have reached another high-point in this important project. With this Russian government order, we would like to confirm our good name in Russia and prove ourselves as a competent and reliable partner in the Arctic and the offshore oil and gas industry,” says Technical Director Fred G. Wegener .
The Russian transport ministry ordered the two highly specialised ships from Nordic Yards in December 2012. Delivery is scheduled for 2015.
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Nordic Yards, November 13, 2013