Page 41 - Журнал Sozvezdye Review - «СОЗВЕЗДИЕ» #42

Some of them were started from scratch, others
evolved from shipping or fishing enterprises, inher-
iting best practices and skill inherent in commercial
fleet repairs and assimilating the advanced technolo-
gies, solutions and approaches. Market conditions are
currently challenging for them, but they continue to
operate as planned, maintaining target levels, invest-
ing in production assets, retaining old customers and
attracting new ones. The traditions and experience
gained over decades yield fruit: Arkhangelsk-based
yards demonstrate better performance than that of
yards in other parts of the country.
Inherent in Arkhangelsk’s industries is staff con-
tinuity and decades of experience. The local vocation-
al training schools maintain high standards and are
supported in their efforts to start new degree pro-
grams, including shipbuilding-related majors, and to
offer more state-funded places by Arkhangelsk Min-
istry of Education. Like many other industries, ship
building and repair sector suffers from the lack of
personnel, but the situation here isn’t critical and is
changing for the better, thanks also to the combined
efforts of Arkhangelsk government and local indus-
tries.
I would rather not compare the performance of
our yards – their names are well known to ship own-
ers and industry experts. But I can’t but mention that
four of them are providers of one-stop maintenance,
i.e. they have the competence to perform entire cycle
of repairs with subsequent presentation of the vessel
for inspection. This is a strong competitive advantage.
Many of the local yards are used not only by the local
vessel owners but also those in Murmansk, Leningrad
regions, Yakutia, Sakhalin and the Far East, and they
take care of accommodation of nonresident crews.
Arkhangelsk Oblast’s ship repairs market offers a
diverse range of services: five companies own docks
and slips; some three dozen operate as subcontrac-
tors for fitting works, hull works, electrical installa-
tion, painting, design engineering, and repair of ra-
dio navigation equipment, rescue equipment, hatch
covers, hydraulic systems and more. Related services
are available from numerous manufacturers and sup-
pliers of equipment and materials, some of which of-
fer their machinery for rent and offer other services.
As to local challenges, these I think relate mainly
to infrastructure and administration. Sediment accu-
mulation is a problem with all estuarine ports. Un-
fortunately, the water area and approach channels to
ship repair facilities become shallow. Even though
many of the yards don’t own these approach chan-
nels, there’s a procedure to pass that involves sub-
mission of documentation and environmental review
before they can start dredging. The procedure is es-
tablished in relevant regulatory acts and contains re-
quirements not every small- or medium-sized busi-
ness can fulfill. A design contractor needs to be hired
and its services are costly. Maintenance dredging rep-
resents another challenge, costing hundreds of mil-
lions of rubles that private businesses just can’t pay.
In current conditions, the task of building, pur-
chasing or modernizing a dock is almost impossible
to achieve without support from the state. Tight reg- Of the 50 docks available in Kaliningrad, Lenin-
ulations and high costs make it impossible even to grad Oblast, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, only 18
prepare the construction site and lay essential infra- are suitable for repairs on commercial Arctic-going
structure. It sounds wise to start a special “dock pro- fleet. Of them, nine have low or limited load capacity.
gramme” with reduced rate loans and long repayment Besides, those with sufficient capacity are servicing SOZVEZDYE #42
period for private businesses – exactly like the one ex- also naval ships, which are given preferential treat-
isting for the member companies of USC. ment. What’s needed in the Russian Arctic Zone is a
Starting a new, advanced ship repair facility repairs facility capable of performing the entire range
here in Arkhangelsk Oblast is definitely worth the of works – metal casting, thermal treatment, iron- развитие
effort. The number of vessels for operation in the mongery, hot-dip galvanizing, electroplating, to name development
Russian Arctic Zone will only be increasing. The a few. It should be able to provide complex repairs
would-be facility won’t take away the job from the on high-capacity engines, turbines, high-pressure
existing yards, for it will be tailored to the needs pumps, propeller shafts, electric propulsion motors
of larger ships – as long as 200 meters and as heavy and do many other works that cannot be performed
as 15,000 tons – that previously received repairs in the Russian Arctic Zone today but are in great de-
in Europe. mand among ship owners. 39