VESSEL REVIEW | Amurets – Outfitting and launching dock for Amur Shipyard's naval construction and repair activities

Russia’s state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), through its Amur Shipyard division, has placed a newly completed floating dock into operation.

Amurets belongs to the Project 65911 series of floating docks designed by USC’s Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. Amur Shipyard also built the dock, which will transport ships under construction or repair from onshore assembly halls to its outfitting berths on the Amur River.

Ideal for large shipbuilding and repair projects

The dock is also capable of launching vessels into the water. This attribute is ideal for large vessels with displacements that would make it impractical for them to be launched using traditional means such as slipways.

The dock has a length of 130.4 metres (427.8 feet), a beam of 25.4 metres (83.3 feet), and a maximum immersion depth of 13.9 metres (45.6 feet). It can launch vessels that measure up to 140 metres (460 feet) long and 18 metres (59 feet) wide, and with displacements approaching 7,500 tons.

Amurets is the first floating dock to be completed under USC’s dock program, the aims of which are to build new floating docks and upgrade tje company's existing ones.

USC General Director Andrei Puchkov expects that this would enhance the company's ability to address the requirements of the Russian Navy, as the greater availability of such docks would mean that a greater number of naval shipbuilding and ship repair projects can be completed within the same timeframe compared to before.

Digital model approach ensuring improved communication during development

The design work on Amurets also involved the use of a digital model that contained key information about materials and components.

This approach not only helped streamline communication between the designer and the builder, but also led to the creation of technical references that can be applied to future projects.