Aleksey Chirikov (icebreaker)

Aleksey Chirikov is a Russian icebreaking platform supply and standby vessel owned by Sovcomflot. She and her sister ship, Vitus Bering, were ordered on 16 December 2010 from Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, shortly after the joint venture agreement between STX Finland Cruise Oy and United Shipbuilding Corporation had been signed. Aleksey Chirikov was delivered on 19 April 2013. She will be used in the Arkutun-Dagi offshore oil field in the Sea of Okhotsk.

History
Russia
Name: Aleksey Chirikov
Namesake: Aleksei Chirikov
Operator: Sovcomflot
Port of registry: Saint Petersburg,  Russia[1]
Ordered: 16 December 2010
Builder: Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, Helsinki, Finland
Cost: $100 million
Yard number: 507
Laid down: 3 July 2012
Launched: 23 November 2012[2]
Completed: 19 April 2013[3]
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics [4]
Type: Platform supply vessel
Tonnage:
Length:
Beam: 21.20 m (69.6 ft) (moulded)
Draught: 7.90 m (25.9 ft)
Depth: 11.00 m (36.09 ft)
Ice class: RMRS Icebreaker6
Installed power:
Propulsion:
  • Two ABB Azipod VI1600 units (2 × 6.5 MW)
  • Two bow thrusters
Speed:
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (open water)
  • 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in 1.5 m (4.9 ft) level ice
Endurance: 30 days
Capacity:
  • 700 m2 cargo deck
  • 195 evacuees
Crew: 50

Construction

Only six days after the agreement for the formation of the company was signed between STX Finland Cruise Oy and United Shipbuilding Corporation on 10 December 2010, the newly founded Arctech Helsinki Shipyard received an order for two multipurpose icebreaking supply vessels from the Russian state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot. The value of the shipbuilding contract was US$200 million and the construction of the vessels would provide work for 1,000 man-years.[6] Initially, both ships were set to be delivered to the customer in April 2013,[7] after which they will be used for standby, supply and ice management of an offshore platform operated by Exxon Neftegas Limited in the Arkutun-Dagi offshore oil field, located in the Sea of Okhotsk.[8]

Although the ship are constructed at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, the majority of the steel blocks are manufactured by the Russian Vyborg Shipyard as the Hietalahti shipyard no longer has such production capacity. Only five of the 42 hull blocks for the two vessels will be manufactured locally in Helsinki while the remaining blocks will be produced and partially outfitted in Vyborg, and then brought to Helsinki on a barge for final outfitting, painting and hull assembly.[9] The production of the second vessel was started in Helsinki on 2 November 2012.[10]

The keel of the second vessel was laid down on 3 July 2012, only three days after the first vessel, Vitus Bering, had been floated out from the dry dock.[11] Although initially set for the same delivery date in April 2013, Vitus Bering will be delivered four months ahead of schedule in December 2012. She left for sea trials on 22 November 2012, and on the following day the second vessel, Aleksey Chirikov, was floated out from the dry dock.[12][13][14] She left for four-day sea trials on 19 March 2013.[15] Another sea trial was conducted in early April 2013 and Aleksey Chirikov was delivered to Sovcomflot on 19 April.[3]

The ship is named after the 18th-century Russian explorer Aleksei Ilyich Chirikov who was the first Russian to reach Alaska.

Technical details

Aleksey Chirikov is an upgraded version of SCF Sakhalin, a similar icebreaking platform supply vessel built at Helsinki in 2005.[16] Several modifications have been made to the original design, including adding a fourth main engine, but the hull form is nearly identical. The most noticeable external difference is the covered foredeck, which will protect the mooring equipment from icing.

Aleksey Chirikov is 99.83 metres (327.5 ft) long overall and 94.02 metres (308.5 ft) at the waterline. The hull has a moulded breadth of 21.20 metres (69.6 ft) and depth of 11.00 metres (36.09 ft) to upper deck. When loaded to a draught of 7.90 metres (25.9 ft), the deadweight tonnage of the ship is 4,191 tons. The four Wärtsilä[17] diesel generating sets — two twelve-cylinder 12V32 and two six-cylinder 6L32 engines — have a combined output of 18,000 kW (24,000 hp) and provide power for all shipboard consumers, including two 6.5 MW ABB Azipod VI1600 propulsion units.[18][19] Being a double acting ship, Aleksey Chirikov is designed to be able to break ice both ahead and astern. She is capable of operating in ice up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) thick and maintain a speed of 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in level ice with a thickness of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft).[20]

References
  1. Aleksey Chirikov. SCF Group. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  2. Arctech Launched Sister of Arctic Offshore Vessel. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 23 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  3. Arctic offshore vessel was delivered to Sovcomflot. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  4. "Aleksey Chirikov (111107)". Register of ships. Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  5. "Aleksey Chirikov (9613551)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  6. Esko Mustamäki appointed as the Managing Director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Inc. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 4 April 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  7. Arctech receives an order for two new icebreaking Supply Vessels from Sovcomflot. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 16 December 2010.
  8. "Russia: Sovcomflot Successiful in Exxon Neftegas Supply Vessel Tender". Offshore Energy Today. 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  9. Arctech Started the Hull Assembly of Multifunctional Icebreaking Supply Vessel. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 19 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  10. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Started the Production of Second Icebreaking Supply Vessel. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 2 November 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  11. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Started the Hull Assembly of Arctic Offshore Vessel. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 3 July 2012.
  12. Arctic Offshore Vessel Will Be Delivered from Arctech 4 months in Advance. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 15 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  13. Arctech Launched Sister of Arctic Offshore Vessel. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 23 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  14. Arctic offshore vessel Vitus Bering on sea trial. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 22 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  15. Arctic offshore vessel Aleksey Chirikov on sea trial. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 19 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
  16. SCF Sakhalin. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  17. Helsinki yard turns to special vessels for Arctic conditions. Helsingin Sanomat, 14 August 2012.
  18. References - Propulsion Products. ABB. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  19. Multifunctional icebreaking supply vessel (MIBSV) Archived 2013-12-30 at the Wayback Machine. Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  20. Russian multi-purpose icebreaking PSV begins build in Finland Archived 2013-01-29 at Archive.today. The Motor Ship, 20 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
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