The first supertrawler of the new RFC fleet "Vladimir Limanov" delivered to the customer

At the Tersan shipyard (Turkey) a solemn ceremony of handing over to the Russian Fishery Company (RFC) the supertrawler “Vladimir Limanov” took place. This is the first vessel of the future renewed fleet of the company. Another 10 vessels for the RFC are being built in Russia by the Admiralty shipyards using the experience of the first trawler building. "Vladimir Limanov" will start fishing in early 2021.

Supertrawler is named in honor of the industry veteran Vladimir Limanov (1933-1990). Vladimir Limanov devoted his whole life to the sea fleet, both at sea, where in 1957 he began work as a mechanic on the vessels of the Sakhalin Shipping Agency, and on the shore - at the Inspection of the USSR Register Ministry of the Navy.

With the commissioning of the supertrawler, the Russian Fishery Company will move to a new stage of efficiency improvement. The use of modern technologies will allow the RFC to improve safety and environmental friendliness of fishing, ensure the most careful handling of biological resources, guarantee the highest quality of the products to our consumers all over the world, and create the most comfortable working conditions and leisure facilities for the crews.

“I worked on fishing vessels, and therefore, like no one else, I understand what a priceless gift we are presenting to our fishermen today,” said Viktor Litvinenko, general director of the RFC. “Vladimir Limanov” is not just a highly efficient fishing trawler. This is a truly second home for the crew, where they live and work for several months in a row. Working and rest conditions created on the supertrawler ensure that work will be safe and rest will be as comfortable as possible. The previously unattainable catching and processing capacity of the vessel will provide fishermen with a decent income”.

Consul General of Russia in Istanbul Andrei Buravov emphasized that Russian-Turkish cooperation, "using advanced technologies, production experience and intercorporate cooperation schemes ... allows to adopt the unique experience and competencies of partners, contributes to the renewal of the Russian fishing fleet."

The vessel, as well as all vessels of the series, which is being built in Russia, is designed for an annual catch of more than 60 thousand tons of fish and waste-free processing on board 100% of the catch. The new processing facilities will allow the company to increase the production of sea-frozen fillets and start production of a new product - surimi. The vessel will be able to produce up to about 15 thousand tons of deep processing products (fillets, mince and surimi) per year.

“We will significantly increase the production of filet frozen at sea. We will be the first in Russia to start producing high quality Pollock surimi,” noted Gleb Frank. “I am confident that this product will be sought after in many markets, including the markets of Japan, USA, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and, of course, Russia.”

The new fishing vessels will be environmentally friendly and provide the most economical levels of energy efficiency. Ensuring that CO2 emissions per ton of fish weight will be reduced by 50% compared with existing vessels.

Russian-built supertrawlers are planned to be commissioned in pairs, with a gap of about a year between pairs. The delivery of the first two vessels to the customer at the Admiralty shipyards is scheduled for 2021.

The new trawlers will replace the aging capacities of the company's current fleet. Thus, the RFC has already decommissioned the BMRT "Bazhenovsk" in September of this year.