Russian shipyard Krasnoye Sormovo, part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, has launched the first of two chemical tankers ordered from compatriot shipping company Volgotrans.

The 6,980 dwt tanker named Volgotrans-2701 features a length of 140.9 meters and a width of 16.7 meters.

Scheduled for delivery this year, both tankers are self-propelled Volga-Don Max Class ships designed for mixed (sea-river) transportation of a wide range of bulk cargoes.

Contracts for the construction of the two ships under the project RST27 were signed between Volgotrans, Goznak-Leasing and the shipyard on October 27, 2015.

The RST27 project was developed by the Marine Engineering Bureau, while the detailed design was made by Volga-Caspian Design Bureau.