Ark Shipping Takes Delivery of AHTS Vessel
A new shallow-draft anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel has been delivered to Russian inland waterways operator and offshore logistics service provider, Ark Shipping.
The AHTS Antarctic, designed by Offshore Ship Designers (OSD) in close cooperation with the owner, is partly based on the design of another OSD-designed ship, the Arctic, which was delivered to Ark Shipping in 2012. The DP1 vessel has a Bureau Veritas Ice Class Notation, and is fully equipped to operate in the Caspian Sea, where ice formation of around 80 cm during the winter period is not unusual. Construction of the hull from special-grade steel will enable the Antarctic to endure minimum temperatures of -25 to -30 C°. Hull construction, meanwhile, has been optimized to create a relatively low-weight hull for an ice-class 1A vessel.
Antarctic’s large breadth forms a stable platform for stand-by rescue, supply and anchor-handling operations under extreme conditions. The vessel can supply and load different cargoes such as cement, liquid mud, fuel oil, fresh water and black water. The minimum draft in a light operating condition of approximately 2.5 m facilitates access to the shallower parts of the Caspian Sea.
The Antarctic has a Standby Rescue Vessel class notation for 100 survivors. An innovative accommodation design offers sufficient room for survivors and ensures proper sanitary facilities. The vessel, which is fully equipped with all equipment needed to ensure safe and efficient anchor-handling operations, has a total propulsion power of 4,923 kW and 6,600 hp. It has six rudders with a triple steering gear and double-cylinder set-up. Three Cummins QSK60 Engines drive three high-thrust propellers, a configuration which ensures a high bollard pull and excellent maneuverability, even in icy and shallow waters.
