Nordic Yards started construction of two ice-breaking rescue and salvage vessels for the Russian Ministry of Transport today. The cutting of the first steel section, which traditionally marks the start of flame-cutting, was celebrated at the Wismar yard in the presence of representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) classification society.

The Russian Ministry of Transport ordered the two multipurpose rescue and salvage vessels from Nordic Yards in December 2012. After their delivery in 2015, the 88-metre-long, 18.5-metre-wide ships will be used by the Russian State Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (SMRCC) for patrols and rescues on the northern Polar Sea route. They are intended for fighting fires and combating oil pollution. The ships’ highly specialised equipment and a helicopter landing pad on the bow qualify them for search and rescue missions to help ships in distress and for their evacuation and the provision of medical assistance.

“This order strengthens Nordic Yards’ reputation as a reliable and competent partner on the Russian market – in the Arctic as well as in the offshore oil and gas sectors,” says Vitaly Yusufov, owner and president of Nordic Yards. “We look forward to further successful projects with Russia.”

The vessels of ice class IB6 in accordance with the RMRS classification are suitable for use in ice up to one metre thick and are therefore designed to perform excellently in Arctic conditions. Each ship has a total power output of about 7 megawatts.