The Southern Centre for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair division of Russia’s state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation kicked off mooring trials of a new inland sand dredger earlier this week.
The vessel belongs to the Project 93.159 series of self-propelled, bucket wheel dredgers – the first example of which was handed over to the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation (Rosmorrechflot) in 2023.
The dredgers will be owned by State Transport Leasing Company.
According to the United Shipbuilding Corporation, these dredgers – designed by Royal IHC – are intended for operation in remote areas of Russia’s inland waterways.
The mooring tests will gauge the functionality of the propulsion machinery as well as the communications and navigation electronics. Later tests will be conducted on the fuel and cooling systems.