The Severo-Dvinsky-701 dredger has arrived in Astrakhan to strengthen the grouping of the dredging fleet on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VCSSC) to 16 units.

Modern pipeline non-propelled dredge pump with a capacity of 700 cubic meters per hour was transferred to FSUE “Rosmorport” and relocated to Astrakhan to accelerate work at the VCSSC.

At the moment, 15 dredgers are working at the VCSSC: 6 units of the enterprise’s own dredging fleet – Pyotr Sablin, Artemiy Volynsky, Ivan Cheremisinov, Kronshlot, Severno-Zapadny-503 and Urengoy – and 9 vessels involved by the enterprise: Arkady Kardakov, Professor Lukin, Moguchyi, Donskoy-701, Belyana, Kaspiy, Pechora, Vyborgsky 1, Apsheron. FSUE “Rosmorport” plans to continue increasing the number of vessels involved in repair dredging on the canal.

As of June 13, in comparison with last year, the rate of dredging at the VCSSC in navigation 2023 has almost doubled – from 1 to 2 million cubic meters.

FSUE “Rosmorport” takes comprehensive measures for the development of the VCSSC as part of the global task of ensuring the operation of the international North-South transport corridor. By the end of 2023, in order to fulfill the task set by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the passage of vessels with a draft of at least 4.5 m along the VCSSC will be ensured, and a project for the construction of protective structures of the canal will be implemented.

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The Severo-Dvinsky-701 dredger was built in the summer of 2022 at the Ship Repair and Shipbuilding Corporation PJSC (the Nizhny Novgorod Region). The vessel managed to work on the Northern Dvina River at the end of the previous navigation season. Severo-Dvinsky-701 is the second dredger of project 4395 in a series of 7 units that are being constructed as part of a Comprehensive plan for modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure for the period up to 2024.