Vympel Design Bureau, a company under Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation, recently unveiled design images of a new double-ended Ro-Pax ferry optimised for river nagivation.
The Project 00640 vessels are being designed to replace the ageing ferries in operation in Russian inland waterways. Many of these older ferries have an average age of 56 years and some have already exceeded their respective maximum expected service lives.
The Project 00640 ferries will be of modular design to permit a range of layout configurations depending on individual customer requirements and as a means of minimising costs. For example, one possible configuration will see a vessel fitted with fewer onboard spaces for deployment on routes with only limited passenger traffic.
The baseline configuration will feature two 150kW diesel engines for ease of operation and maintenance, though the design will also permit the integration of an electric propulsion system utilising batteries as an alternative to conventional engines.
Each baseline Project 00640 will be able to transport 94 passengers and 14 cars. The design complies with the Russian Classification Society's ice 20 requirement, which covers safe operation in wave heights of up to two metres.