OREANDA-NEWS. December 29, 2011. St. Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard held today, December 29 a launching and christening ceremony for the second vessel of a series of four non self-propelled oil tankers of Project 2734, ordered by the group of companies Baltic Fuel Company (BFC), the PortNews correspondent reports from the ceremony. The ship was named "Mary."

"I am grateful to Dmitry Kozak and Georgy Poltavchenko who had acted as guarantors that our orders will be executed completely and on schedule," said Stanislav Korneyev, CEO of Baltic Fuel Company.

The RUB 400 million contract for a series of four oil barges of Project 2734 was signed between the shipbuilding firm and Baltic Fuel Company Group in November of 2010. The order is funded with participation of the Bank of Saint Petersburg.

The 2734 project lead vessel was christened as “Taisiya" and launched on Sept. 27, 2011.

The Project 2734 was designed by Marine Engineering Bureau. The project was developed to satisfy the Customer’s requirements, according to the latest innovations and internationally approved standards of shipbuilding.

The barges will be transporting petroleum products with vapor flash point of 60є C and above, including those requiring heating. Navigation area - inland waterways and marine areas for non-self propelled cargo vessels, where the thickness of broken ice does not exceed 20 cm. To enhance environmental safety the project tanker’s hull is reinforced with double bottom and double sides in the area of 12 cargo tanks of total volume of about 6,000 cbm. The barges will sail with assistance of pusher tugs, or towed by towboats as an option.

The vessels are being constructed under the supervision of the Russian River Register in accordance with modern standards, rules and regulations of commercial shipbuilding.

Ship's main characteristics: length - 108.32 m, beam - 16.86 m, hull height - 4.75 m, displacement 6120 tons, light displacement - 1020 tons.

Shipyard Baltiysky Zavod based in St. Petersburg is part of United Industrial Corporation (UIC) and one of the largest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. Baltic Shipyard specializes in the construction of nuclear-powered or diesel icebreakers and ice-class vessels, large tonnage vessels for shipping various cargoes, warships, Ro-Ro, Ro-Pax vessels, products carriers, etc. The company manufactures a wide range of engineering products, power equipment. Baltic Shipyard is also a supplier of ferrous and steel castings.

St. Petersburg-headquartered Baltic Fuel Company was established in 2008 to manage bunkering companies of the holding. For over 10 years, the Group’s divisions have been engaged in oil products exports, bunkering operations, provision of environmental services, etc. Currently, the Group operates a bunkering fleet of 31 vessels in the North-West Russia. Baltic Fuel Company ranks among top 3 leaders in the market of bunkering services at the ports of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region.