For the first time in a long time, the UDS Kilia plant will build new non-self-propelled vessels

Preparations for the creation of a new non-self-propelled vessel using the structures of donor vessels are underway at the Kilia Ship building and ship repair plant. The first two barges, acting as donors, have already been lifted to the slip.

The technology of building barges of the SLG type from donor lighters is not new, the UDS noted. After the collapse of the still Soviet system of lantern transportation, hundreds of lanterns remained useless, as the use of these small vessels with a length of 40 meters is economically impractical.

However, UDS plans to create real barges with a large load on the basis of lanterns. The first lighter barges (a total of 18 units) of the UDP SL project were built in 1998-2000. The project was jointly developed by the Kili plant and the Marine Engineering Bureau.

In 2001-2005, another 20 barges of the UDP SLG project were built, also developed by Kilia Ship building and ship repair plant and MIB. The length of the SLG barge is 76.5 m, the draft is 3.1 m, the carrying capacity is 2,200 tons.

Construction was not carried out for a long time. In 2017, it was planned to make another 40 vessels, but in the end the Kili plant produced only two barges SLG-21 and SLG-22.

“Currently, there are 86 lighters left in the UDS. Part of it is leased as so-called “spacers” between the ships and the pier. But most of them are rotting, extracting funds from the UDS that we pay for the anchor fee or spend on emergency repairs,” the company said.

Thus, the UDP plans to completely close the issue of lighters in the next 2-3 years: all vessels that are still in satisfactory technical condition will be “transformed” into barges. UDS should receive another 5-6 barge caravans.