“Logistics: Cargo ferry to connect Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions
The “”Marshal Rokossovsky”” has already entered the port of Ust-Luga for loading. The ship will make its first trip loaded for the needs of the Kaliningrad region, as reported by the Governor of the Kaliningrad region, Anton Alikhanov. According to the plan, the vessel will return to the port of Baltiysk on the night of March 6th.

Since the beginning of this year, businessmen in the Kaliningrad region have reported delays at the Belarusian and Lithuanian borders. With the launch of the cargo ferry “”Marshal Rokossovsky””, Kaliningrad carriers will be less dependent on foreign partners.

“”There are difficulties that even go beyond the officially adopted sanctions, a number of European carriers, container carriers, refuse to work with Russian shippers now, they do not enter Russian ports,”” says Anton Alikhanov.

The 200-meter CNF19M project cargo ferry “”Marshal Rokossovsky”” was built in Turkey at the Kuzey Star shipyard for the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “”Rosmorport””. It has an ice class Arc4, which means it can operate without the assistance of an icebreaker. The modern cargo ferry has two dual-fuel main engines with a power of 6000 kW. It uses either liquefied natural gas or low-sulfur diesel fuel as fuel.

Ecologically clean fuel reduces atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide by 20-30%, nitrogen oxides by over 90%, sulfur oxides and soot by 100% compared to similar ships using traditional heavy fuel. At the same time, the LNG will provide not only the propulsion of the vessel, but also the operation of the ship’s power plant (through 2,400 kW shaft generators each). The vessel is designed for the transportation of Russian standard gauge railway cars with a track width of 1,520 mm, as well as other roll-on/roll-off cargoes, including dangerous goods, and up to thirty 20-foot reefer containers.

The vessel has started regular voyages on the Ust-Luga-Baltiysk route. The ferry has replenished the fleet of quite old CNF05 “”Baltiysk”” and “”Ambal”” ferries.

To recoup the costs of its production and operation, it will be used exclusively for cargo transportation. It is expected that the Marshal Rokossovsky will transport about two million tons of cargo annually.

The Governor of the Kaliningrad Region also announces joint work by regional and federal authorities to search for “”additional ferry capacity and backup capacity just in case for the ferry crossing.”” There is talk of the possibility of resuming the Baltic-Zasnitz ferry line.

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