First steel cut for new Russian multi-purpose cargo carrier

Russia's V.I. Lenin Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Yard has cut the first steel to be used in the construction of a new multi-purpose cargo vessel ordered by local customer State Transport Leasing Company (STLC).

The vessel will be the third in the Project RSD81 series, six examples of which will be built for STLC. The ships were designed in compliance with Russian Maritime Register of Shipping rules and will be capable of operating in the open sea as well as Russian inland waters such as the Volga-Baltic Waterway and the Volga-Don Canal.

The vessel will be capable of transporting general and bulk cargo as well as 20-foot and 40-foot ISO containers. Typical cargo examples will include grain, sawn timber, packaged lumber, scrap metal, steel coils, coal, IMDG Code-compliant dangerous goods in eight categories, and up to 385 TEUs.

Construction of STLC's Project RSD81 vessels is being undertaken with RUB4.8 billion (US$52 million) in funding support provided by the Russian Government.