Sergey Pylin, General Director of FSUE “Rosmorport”, has inspected the progress of dredging operations for the development of the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VCSSC), as well as the implementation of the project for the construction of protective structures to reduce the drift of the VCSSC bed.

During his working visit to Astrakhan, head of FSUE “Rosmorport” held a business meeting with the management of DAR/VODGEO, JSC on the issue of designing the canal reconstruction. While inspecting the operation of the vessels in the designated areas of the VCSSC, Sergey Pylin focused the attention of the dredger captains involved in intensive dredging this year on the need to implement the dredging plan for 2023 which will ensure by the end of the year the passage of vessels with a draft of at least 4.5 m, indicated in the instructions of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, with preservation of separate sections of one-way traffic of vessels.

Currently, 16 dredgers maintain necessary depths in the areas of the VCSSC in conditions of high drift of the canal and steady decline in the Caspian Sea level: 7 units of the enterprise’s own dredging fleet – Pyotr Sablin, Artemiy Volynsky, Ivan Cheremisinov, Kronshlot, Severno-Zapadny 503, Severo-Dvinsky-701 and Urengoy – and 9 vessels, involved by the enterprise: Arkady Kardakov, Professor Lukin, Moguchiy, Donskoy-701, Belyana, Kaspiy, Pechora, Vyborgsky 1, Apsheron. In the coming days, the grouping of the dredging fleet on the canal will be strengthened by the Inzhener Popov self-propelled diesel-electric dredger with hydraulic ripper. The vessel has arrived at the designated area of the VCSSC.

The implementation of comprehensive measures for the development of VCSSC as part of the global task of ensuring the operation of the North–South international transport corridor is carried out by FSUE “Rosmorport” according to the schedule. The enterprise plans to continue increasing the number of vessels involved in repair dredging on the canal.

For reference:

DAR/VODGEO, JCS is the developer of a project of repair dredging in the water area of the VCSSC for the period up to 2027, which includes the development of environmental measures and design documentation “Reconstruction of the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VCSSC) in order to increase the passage draft of vessels and ensure a two-way regime of vessel traffic all along”.