Page 23 - Журнал Sozvezdye Review - «СОЗВЕЗДИЕ» #36

ships with subsequent increase in class, their owner
entered a new market. We are building barges and
tugboats and we are planning to be building more
complex shipbuilding projects over time.
– Does the increase in shipping along the North-
ern Sea Route mean that ship repair services are
also becoming more popular?
– Yes, it does. There are not so many companies
in shipbuilding and ship repair market today that are
implementing their projects strictly on time. Given
the market economy and increasing competition, ship
owners cannot afford to lose money due to idle time.
Observance of short timelines is one of the main re-
quirements of customers. We understand them and
are doing our best to meet their interest. Being able
to meet delivery dates is one of our key competitive
advantages. Moreover, a ship in a dock is often re-
paired by several contractors a time – three or four –
while having one contractor for all works can reduce
customer’s extra risks. Our second advantage is the
availability of well-developed material base, includ-
ing a covered shop for year-round operations. The slip
can accommodate vessels weighing up to 2,500 tons,
with a width of up to 20 meters and a length of up to
130 meters. These are primarily river and river-sea
ships we are repairing. In addition to dock repairs,
we are prepared to move to customers’ site when it is
convenient for them.
– It is no secret that modernization is what ship-
yards need themselves. How far is Fleet RMB on this?
– Modernization of shipyards is, indeed, a prob-
lem in this area. Many local shipyards are using mor-
ally and physically obsolete facilities that were built
decades ago. We are working on our modernization
schedule and gradually changing the machine park,
equipment and tools. Given the current speed of tech-
nological development, without timely updating its
material base a shipyard cannot remain competitive
in the market. Modernization allows a significant in-
crease in labor productivity and a reduction in dura-
tion of work. For example, the introduction of plas-
ma cutting has enabled a two- to three-fold reduction
in the scope of our processing works. Modernization
pays off in the end.
– And another challenge typical of shipbuilding
industry is personnel. How do you cope with short-
age of skills to operate the new technologies?
– The shortage of qualified manpower is a prob-
lem for many industries and shipbuilding is no ex-
ception. We are trying to attract young professionals
when they are students by cooperating with dedicated of Russia. Do you think they can compete with
schools and offering traineeship places. Many of our Arkhangelsk-based yards?
interns later become our employees. I must say that – Practice has shown that thanks to their geo-
not all shipbuilding companies are ready to offer their graphical location and experience, the northern
personnel training, since it leads to extra costs and shipyards are the only ones with the right exper-
organizational changes. But we an exception. As was tise for building Arctic-going ships. There have
once said by Suvorov, a soldier who doesn’t want to been cases of the ships by south Russian yards
become a general is a bad soldier. If a person wants to having been rejected by the Maritime Register as
learn, we always try to meet them halfway and often inconsistent with their class: fundamental design
pay for their training. Favorable working conditions errors were made as early as the design stage. We
and professional development opportunities are all at Arkhangelsk Fleet RMB operate our own de-
part of our personnel policy. sign office. If the customer has their own design
– The Arctic projects attract attention of the project, we, as shipbuilders, will do our best to
shipbuilding companies based in other parts improve it and recommend equipment. But we’ll
only be able to do so if there’s demand. The do-
«Наша цель – стать mestic fleet needs to be updated – a recognized
by all shipowners and shipbuilders. We know that
предприятием, выполняющим our home region is actively discussing the possi- SOZVEZDYE #36
весь комплекс работ в сфере bility of building jack-up platforms and would like
судостроения, от разработки to join this work. And we also know there are po- презентация
tential customers but they need guarantees and a
проекта до спуска судна на воду» competitive price offer. Any yard can take up a showcase
“Our goal is to become a provider project but very few can build it the right way. We
of entire range of shipbuilding are working to become a company to have noth-
ing to worry with. Our short-term projects are the
works from project development to ship for local shipowners. We are planning to en-
launching” ter larger projects and attract customers from oth- 21
er regions.