FSUE “Rosmorport” has strengthened the dredging vessels group operating on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VCSSC) with another, thirteenth, dredger – the Pechora high-performance dredger. The vessel sailed from the seaport of Olya to the VCSSC route to start work on the designated section of the canal.

Today, work on the canal development is carried out around the clock under favorable weather conditions by the forces of 12 dredging vessels and 23 vessels of the auxiliary fleet. It is planned that by the end of May the Absheron refueling dredger and the Vyborgsky 1 self-propelled dredger will join the group of dredging vessels at the VCSSC, thus the number of the vessels will be increased to 15 vessels.

To protect the marine part of the VCSSC from wave, wind and ice impacts, as well as to reduce the drift and improve vessel traffic safety along the canal, FSUE “Rosmorport” implements measures for the construction of protective dams. Protective structures consist of soft polypropylene containers (geobags) filled with soil extracted during repair dredging. Geobags weighing 5 tons each are laid in 2 rows. Thus, the construction of 3 protective structures and 1 discharge canal is planned on the 4 most drift prone sections of the VCSSC.

The total length of the protective structures on 4 sections will be about 7 km. According to experts, the experimental hundred-meter section of the protective dam showed sufficient efficiency as a factor of significant reduce of the drift of the canal bed and, accordingly, of the costs necessary to maintain its dimensions.

In order to fulfill the task set by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to ensure the passage of vessels with a draft of at least 4.5 m to the VCSSC by the end of 2023, FSUE “Rosmorport” supplies the fleet involved in the VCSSC development with all the necessary materials and equipment for its smooth operation.

This project of carrying out repair dredging in the offshore part of the canal is unique, because its design solutions provide not only excavation, but also calculations of drift, forecasting water levels, guaranteed canal parameters for the safe movement of vessels, and environmental measures are also carried out to prevent a negative impact on the environment.