Astrakhan Branch News

Artemiy Volynsky Dredging Pump Arrives at the Dredging Operations Area in the Volga-Caspian Marine Shipping Canal

A non-propelled dredging pump Artemiy Volynsky arrived at the Volga-Caspian Marine Shipping Canal area 143-144 km and started repair dredging operations on April 26.

According to the dredging operations schedule in 2017 with the use of the vessel the Astrakhan Branch is planning to extract 1,1 mln cbm of bottom soil in the sea part of the VCMSC and extend the depths of the VCMSC area 123-150 km to the design values equal to 5,9 meters.

Dredging operations are performed by the Astrakhan Branch in accordance with the dredging operations project in the Volga-Caspian Marine Shipping Canal area 0-188 km for the period up to 2018 with the development of environmental measures. The project received a favorable conclusion of the expert committee of the State Environmental Ecology Expertise Group No. 33 of 17.06.2016  and approved by the Order of the Department of the Federal Service for Oversight of Natural Resource Use for the Southern Federal District No. 246/ОD of 17.06.2016.

In accordance with the established procedure the soil excavated by the dredging pump during dredging operations is pumped through the floating and shore pipes to the specially designated shallow pile located at a distance of 350 meters from the canal edge. 

This is the second dredger of the Astrakhan Branch that performs repair dredging operations during the navigation of the year of 2017. At the beginning of April a non-propelled dredging pump Petr Sablin started operations in the VCMSC 138-139 km. From the beginning of April it already extracted 215 thousand cbm of soil.