On the occasion of 8th of March International Women’s Day, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) organized a tour in the Baku Bay by “Zafar” Ship with participation of about 50 journalists representing various media organizations and female students of the Azerbaijan State Maritime Academy.
The participants first became familiar with the modern ship. It was noted that “Zafar” ship was built at Baku Shipyard. The contract for construction of the passenger ship to transport Azerbaijani oil workers to the offshore platforms was signed in May 2014, and the construction of the ship was launched in October 2014. On April 22, 2016, “Zafar” ship was placed in service with the attendance of President Ilham Aliyev. The capacity of the ship is 80 passengers. In addition, it has a capacity to take up to 10 tons of cargo on board. The length of the ship is 38m, the width 8m, and the draft of vessel is 2.25 meters.
When informing the female passengers about future plans, it was noted that at present, four ships are constructed for ASCO on the basis of the latest achievements of shipbuilding at Baku Shipyard and another contract has been signed for the construction of two more vessels.
It is the result of the special care and attention attached by President Ilham Aliyev to the shipping industry that in the past 5 years, 20 ships of various purposes have been purchased and commissioned. In general, during the next 10 years, it is planned to purchase more than 70 ships and build at the Baku Shipyard as part of the plan to renew the ASCO’s fleet. These ships will not only lead to the preservation of our position in the Caspian Sea, but also cause an increase of performance in foreign waters and the development of the shipbuilding industry in the country. In addition, these ships will also contribute to eliminating reliance on a single market, increasing competitiveness of fleets, transportation of transit cargoes through Azerbaijan, and successful implementation of oil and gas projects in the Caspian Sea.
Next discussions focused on the increased interest in the maritime profession in the country. It was noted that the number of females selecting sailor profession has been increased in recent years. The ship was navigated by female ship driver Rita Rzaguluyeva. She successfully managed to perform her job.
The sea tour left kind impressions in the memory of participants.
