OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2009. The naming ceremony for another tug ordered by the Sovcomflot (SCF) Group, took place on 29 May 2009. The vessel forms part of Sovcomflot Group’s strategy to develop its terminals management business. This envisages, in particular, providing port, salvage and environmental protection vessels to build up the existing capabilities of Russia’s oil trans-shipment ports and improve their quality of service.

The ceremony was held at the Sanmar Denizcilik Shipyards in Tuzla (Republic of Turkey). It was attended by the representatives of the Shipyard and the SCF Group’s management team.

The new vessel is named after Yuriy Lvovich Popov – a famous Arctic researcher and Russia’s outstanding maritime transport manager.

Kapitan Popov is the second in a series of three tugs designed to facilitate the safe operation of tankers in Kola Bay. The similar tug Kapitan Avdyukov of 3660 kW was delivered for operation in March 2009 and is working in the Kola Bay. The third vessel - Kapitan Reutov, of 2460 kW capacity, will join the Group’s fleet in July – August 2009. All the tugs will be registered in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, with Murmansk as their port of registry. The vessels will all fly the flag of the Russian Federation. After completing the sea trials the tug Kapitan Popov will sail to the ship’s place of operation.

As was noted by Aleksey Savin, Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region, in his welcoming letter, the presence of the SCF Group’s new vessels, flying the State flag of the Russian Federation and registered in Murmansk, is becoming a good tradition.


The tug Kapitan Popov meets all the requirements of the relevant international conventions and leading classification societies. The vessel (project Sanmar 2800E) is a modern, highly manoeuvrable tug of 3660 kW equipped with Azimuth thrusters and with a bollard pull of 60 tonnes. The vessel has been designed to operate in the low temperatures of the Northern latitudes. The tug is equipped with bow and stern towing winches and an external fire fighting system. It is capable of escorting large ocean-going tankers.
The tug joined the Group’s fleet on 11 March 2009.
The Sovcomflot (SCF) Group – is one of Russia’s largest infrastructural enterprises. Its fleet comprises 133 vessels of 9.5 million tonnes (dwt) in total, and the shipbuilding portfolio includes 28 ships of an aggregate deadweight of 2.6 million tonnes (dwt). The average age of vessel in the tanker fleet is six years (the world average age is 12 years). SCF Group is a world leader in the product carrier segment; it is the second in the Aframax tanker segment and owns the largest ice fleet. These market segments are the most in demand for Russia’s foreign trade. The Group’s services include not only transporting hydrocarbons for its customers, but also trans-shipping crude oil via FSO facilities and developing effective logistics for transporting energy.
Yuriy Popov – sea captain, honorary Arctic researcher and Russia’s outstanding maritime transport manager. He started work in 1948, aboard the vessels of the Murmansk Shipping Company. From 1965 until 1982 he was a Captain and Harbour Master’s Mate in the port of Murmansk. Yuriy Popov was awarded the titles “Honorary Arctic Researcher” and “Honorary Worker of the Merchant Marine of the Russian Federation for his achievements and personal input into research and high latitude voyages, and for the delivery of cargo to the Polar regions.