Visit to Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex 2018-09-11 07:45:00 Bolshoi Kamen Vladimir Putin assessed the implementation of the company’s production projects, took part in the ceremony of laying down the first Aframax tanker, and also watched, via videoconference, the first cubic metre of concrete being poured at the construction site of a dry dock at Zvezda shipyard. The Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex is a Russian enterprise for building large-capacity vessels that is being built in the city of Bolshoi Kamen. The shipyard will turn out large-capacity vessels, marine technology and equipment to prospect for, produce and transport hydrocarbons, including tankers displacing up to 350,000 tonnes, gas tankers with a capacity of up to 250,000 cubic metres, ice-resistant vessels, special-purpose vessels with a launch weight of up to 29,000 tonnes, elements of high-seas platforms for developing oil and gas deposits on the Arctic shelf. The shipyard’s management has already signed contracts for building 26 vessels, including four multirole ice-resistant supply vessels, ten Arctic shuttle tankers with a deadweight of 42,000 tonnes, an Arctic shuttle tanker with a deadweight of 69,000 tonnes, a shallow-draft icebreaker and ten Aframax-class tankers. Vladimir Putin took part in laying down the tanker St Petersburg. Aframax-class vessels will start entering into service as of 2021. Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin also attended the ceremony. A dry dock which is 485 metres long, 114 metres wide and 14 metres high is being built during the second stage of the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex’s construction project and is scheduled to start operating in 2024. The dock will be used to build drilling platforms, supertankers, gas tankers, water-supply vessels as well as other types of marine technology, including vessels for the Arctic. The President watched, via videoconference, the first cubic metre of concrete being poured at the construction site. While visiting the shipyard, the President was told about a 40,000-tonne floating transport-transfer dock, installed in July 2018. The dock is intended to be used to launch large-capacity vessels with a length of about 300 metres and a beam of over 50 metres from slipways. These vessels have a launch mass of up to 40,000 tonnes and a deadweight of up to 350,000 tonnes. The dock can also launch drilling platforms without the requirement of any special systems, and it guarantees high-quality and safe launches. The President was also shown designs for the Project 23380 Zvezda dock complex and a multi-role supply vessel. Vladimir Putin spoke briefly with the workers. The President noted the unique character of the shipbuilding complex under construction and industrial projects implemented there. During the conversation, Vladimir Putin noted that it was necessary to solve, in a timely manner, social issues related to the construction of residential housing, kindergartens and schools in the region.