Canadian naval architect firm Robert Allan has announced the recent award of contracts for two new designs of icebreaking OSVs for use in the North Caspian Sea.
The contract was awarded to Robert Allan by the Turkish-based Palmali Group of Companies and the vessels will be built by Besiktas Shipyard of Altinova, Turkey. Upon delivery the vessels will be chartered to the Lukoil Oil Company of Astrakhan, Russia. Three vessels in total are to be built and delivered by the end of 2014.
Each of the new vessel designs will measure 80 metres in length and be specifically designed for operation in the very shallow, ice-covered waters encountered in the Caspian. The vessels will also meet the rules of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
The first design, designated as a 'TundRA 8000 OSV' satisfies RMRS ARC 4 Ice Class requirements. Two 'TundRA 8000 OSVs' have been ordered.
The second design, designated as a 'TundRA 8000 MSRV', will be a multifunctional standby/rescue variant of the OSV design capable of meeting RMRS ARC 5 requirements. Vessels of these Ice Classes are designed to be capable of breaking ice of 0.9 and 1.2 metres respectively. One 'TundRA 8000 MSRV' has been ordered.
Lukoil currently operates four similar but smaller OSVs designed by Robert Allan and completed between 2007 and 2009. Robert Allan has been designing Ice Class and icebreaking vessels since the late 1960s, and the experience gained in designing vessels to operate in the shallow waters of the Canada's Beaufort Sea have been put to good use in the similar environment of Russia's Caspian Sea.