Valmet Delivers First Of Four Supply Vessels To Soviet Union

Valmet's subsidiary yard, Valmetin Laivateollisuus Oy in Turku, Finland, recently delivered the first unit in a four-vessel series being built for the Ministry of Gaz Industry of the USSR. The supply/ anchor-handling vessel Rioni incorporates a number of interesting features, like the "father and son" machinery installation, as well as onecompartment structural subdivision to provide extra safety for operations in harsh conditions such as the Arctic.

The Rioni (shown above) is the lead vessel in the series that will be delivered during 1984-85. Behind the customer's decision to place the order with the Valmet yard was, among others, the fact that Laivateollisuus already had good experience with such craft. In the mid-70s the Turku yard built a series of Ulstein type UT 704 vessels for I.M.

Skaugen in Norway and The Offshore Company of Houston. The Rioni type, however, is the yard's own design and is tailor made to meet the stringent requirements of the USSR rules and specifications.

The Rioni type is intended to serve the needs of offshore installations with the transport of pipe, bulk material, fresh and potable water, fuel, cement and mud, as well as food provisions in refrigerated containers. She will also be able to tow drilling rigs and other structures.

In addition, she will be able to carry and handle anchor chains and cables of the offshore structures, as well as take the drill sludge ashore in containers.

The Rioni has an overall length of 220.8 feet, beam of 45.6 feet, and design draft of 16.4 feet. Storage capacities are designed to give 30 days of uninterrupted operation with a complement of 24 and at an 85-percent machinery output.

The machinery arrangement comprises two separate propeller shafts, each driven via a reduction gear by two diesels of different sizes. Each diesel is coupled to the reduction gearbox by flexible couplings; in addition, the smaller engines are coupled from their front ends to separate alternators. Thus the smaller engines serve a dual purpose—as a main engine or as a generating set, either coupled independently.

All four diesels are of Wartsila type 22, the two larger in V form with 22 cylinders each and the two smaller units in R form with six cylinders each. The corresponding outputs are 2,420 bhp and 1,200 bhp, respectively, for a total vessel output of 5,330 bhp. Both of the smaller engines are fitted with 550- kva alternators. One generator is needed to serve the vessel in all conditions except when the 1,000-hp bow thruster and the towing winch or the cargo-handling equipment are in operation.

The two propellers are of controllable- pitch type fitted in fixed nozzles.

They can be controlled by joystick type operation from both ends of the bridge. Also on the bridge are remote controls for the towing winch, and alarm stopping of the cargo pumps.

The one-compartment structural subdivision is achieved by careful placement of the bulkheads and tanks. As a result, either of the compartments may be flooded without causing danger to the vessel.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 42, Nov 1984

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