VESSEL REVIEW | Pechorsky-501 – Suction dredger for depth maintenance in Russian inland waters

The Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation (Rosmorrechflot) has placed a new river dredger into service.

Pechorsky-501 (Печорский-501) belongs to the Project Ts490DM1 series of non-self-propelled cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) designed for extracting hard soil types. This makes the vessels ideal for dredging inland waterways, particularly in maintaining navigable depths in channels and near dams.

Optimised for hard soil extraction

The dredger was built according to a domestic project using mainly Russian-manufactured components. The main function of the vessel is the development of soils at depths of between one and 12 meters (three and 39 feet).

The vessel has an LOA of 65.56 metres (215.1 feet), a beam of 10.89 metres (35.73 feet), a displacement of 1,005 tonnes, and diesel generators.

The CSD is equipped with a milling and hydraulic cutter.

The drive power of the main pump is 746 kW (1,000 hp), and this will permit extraction of soil at a rate of 500 cubic metres (18,000 cubic feet) per hour.

Part of a growing inland dredging fleet

Pechorsky-501 was built by Tsimlyansk Shipbuilding Plant. The CSD will be operated by Rosmorrechflot’s office responsible for the Dvina and Pechora Rivers in northwestern Russia while ownership will remain with State Transport Leasing Company (STLC).

Six additional dredgers from the same series are scheduled to be delivered to STLC within the next two years.

The acquisition of the Project Ts490DM1 CSDs is part of a broader initiative by the Russian Government to upgrade the domestic civil water transport sector.