The keel-laying ceremony for the large freezer trawlers was attended by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, and executives from both Russian Fishery Company and Admiralty Shipyards. In front of honored guests and media, representatives of both the shipbuilder and the customers delivered welcome speeches highlighting the event's significance for Russia's fishing and shipbuilding industries.
"Laying down new ST-192 vessels proves that domestic shipbuilding continues to grow dynamically and meet the demand for fishing industry's fleet renewal, in spite of the sanctions. Four of these innovative vessels are already operating successfully, with two more trawlers launched and undergoing completion. In total, 10 vessels are going to be built for Russian Fishery Company under the investment quota program. This is an example of effective cooperation between the government, industry, and customer, enabling serial production and steady growth at the new project construction rates,"
The super trawlers are built in pairs. The seventh and eighth vessels, like other ST-192 series vessels for RFC, are Russia's largest and most technologically advanced fishing vessels. Each new vessel is designed to annually haul in more than 60,000 tons of fish, which is 2.5 times higher vs. the capacity of the current main vessels in the Russian Far East fishing fleet.
The ST-192 vessel construction project demonstrates successful implementation of the governmental investment quota program aimed at modernizing the domestic fishing fleet and improving utilization of valuable national biological resources. The contract for building the series of large freezer fishing trawlers for Russian Fishery Company LLC was signed in October 2017. Currently, the first four ST-192 project trawlers built by Admiralty Shipyards are successfully operating in the Far East, leading in fish catch and processing. Two more trawlers are actively under construction.
"Today, we celebrate laying down the seventh and eighth vessels. This project's trawlers are already breaking their own records. I want to thank those after whom we're naming these trawlers. Aleksandr Sergeevich Buzakov made an enormous contribution to our cause. He delivered the first vessel of the series and laid down several more. Without him, the project wouldn't be so successful. Sergei Borisovich Ipatov is one of our greatest captains. He served as Director Captain of Kapitan Oleynichuk krill fishing trawler for over 20 years and helped shape the vision for the new championship vessel,"
Family members of those after whom the future vessels are to be named were honored guests at the event. The two new vessels are named after distinguished members of the fishing and shipbuilding industries: Sergei Borisovich Ipatov, RFC's permanent captain, and Aleksandr Sergeevich Buzakov, General Director of Admiralty Shipyards JSC. These names symbolize both the revival of the fishing profession and the era of domestic shipbuilding development.
The new fleet stands out for its significantly enhanced production capabilities, utmost safety, superior eco-friendliness, and improved work and leisure conditions for the crew. The vessels are fitted with state-of-the-art facilities capable of comprehensive waste-free processing of the entire catch into high value-added products, primarily pollock fillets and surimi.
The Russian Fishery Company's super trawlers will be able to operate in the most challenging weather conditions to extend the effective fishing time. The future vessels will surpass current domestic counterparts in terms of productivity and other technical and operational parameters. Admiralty Shipyards will build a total of 10 similar vessels for RFC.
Reference:
Sergei Borisovich Ipatov was born on August 4, 1956, in Vladivostok.
In 1982, he graduated from the Far Eastern Technical Institute of Fishing Industry and Economy with a major in marine navigation.
After the graduation, he joined TURNIF JSC (a company within the RFC group). He started as 4th captain's mate.
In 2000, he took command of Kapitan Oleynichuk krill fishing trawler and has been one of the best captains for 23 years, consistently leading in production. His vessel's crew repeatedly achieved top rankings both among the RFC fleet and throughout the Far East.
Sergei Ipatov made significant contributions to both company and industry development. For his outstanding professional achievements in developing Russia's fishing industry, he received several honorary departmental medals including the Medal for Merits in the Development of Russian Fishery of the 1st and 2nd class, and the Honorary Worker of Russian Fishery title.
Aleksandr Sergeevich Buzakov was born on July 7, 1956, in St. Petersburg.
After graduating from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute in 1980 with a major in ship power unit, he worked at Admiralty Shipyards, first as a process engineer and then as Chief Engineer, for 23 years.
In 2004, he became General Director of Severnaya Verf Shipyard JSC. From 2007 to 2008, he served as Director of FSUE Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard.
In 2008, Aleksandr Buzakov became head of Western Shipbuilding Center JSC (a United Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary), and in July 2011, he returned to Admiralty Shipyards as Chief Engineer. In 2012, he was appointed General Director of Admiralty Shipyards JSC.
During his career, he was awarded the Russian Federation Government Prize in Science and Technology, the 300 Years of the Russian Navy and Commemoration of the St. Petersburg 300th Anniversary medals, and the Medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland of the 2nd class.
