The Kherson Shipyard[1] (Ukrainian: Херсонський суднобудівний завод (ХСЗ)) is a joint stock company located in Kherson, Ukraine at the mouth of the Dnieper River.[2] The shipyard specializes in building merchant ships to include dry cargo ships, tankers, ice-breakers, container-ships, drilling vessels, and floating dry docks. In 1983, the shipyard delivered the impressive Alexei Kosygin class (named after Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin) of Arctic barge carriers .[3]
The city of Kherson was founded in 1778 on a fortress place, which protected the lands of Russian Empire from Turkish raids. Kherson's proximity to the Black Sea initiated shipbuilding and people settlement in the estuary of the Dnieper river.[2]
In 1953 first Soviet tanker ships Kherson and Grozny completed in this shipyard. A few years later, the production of dry cargo ships began. In 1965, one of the first ocean-going dry cargo gas turbines in the former Soviet Union, the Paris Commune, was built at the plant. In 1970, the main Soviet icebreaker and transport vessel, Captain Myshevsky was built at the shipyard.
During Ukraine's independence, Kherson Shipyard built about 25 different ships, including 13 tankers for shipowners in Norway, Denmark, Russia, two Arctic supply vessels for clients in South Africa and China, and four multi-purpose dry cargo ships for the Philippines and Norway.
In 2010, the plant was engaged in the construction of a series of anchor vessels for the Norwegian company Myklebust Prosjekt AS, as well as ship repair and production of river tankers for the Dutch company Veka Shipbuilding BV.
In autumn 2019, the company is carrying out preparatory work for the installation of equipment for thermal cutting of metal SAPPHIRE of the Polish company "ECKERT".[4]
The shipyard consists of two main production areas:[2]
| Length | Width | Draft | Launching Weight | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area No. 1 | align=center | 180–185 meters (590—607 ft) | align=center | 25.5m (83.7feet) | align=center | 4.5m (14.8feet) | align=center | 10,000 tons | |
| Area No. 2 | align=center | 140–160 meters (459–525 ft) | align=center | 32.5m (106.6feet) | align=center | 4m (13feet) | align=center | 6,000 tons | |
| 3 Outfitting quays | align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - | align=center | - |
The hull assembling and metal processing facilities performs pre-processing of rolled metal to include straightening, shot-blasting, priming, cutting, and bending. Specific capabilities include:[2]
| Name | Laid | Launched / Completed | Class (NATO) | Type |
| Херсон Kherson | 1953 | First Soviet tanker ship | ||
| Грозный Grozny | 1953 | First Soviet tanker ship | ||
| Ленинский Комсомол Leninsky Komsomol | 1957 | 1959 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Металлург Байков Metallurg Baykov | 1958 | 1960 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Металлург Курако Metallurg Kurako | 1959 | 1961 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Юрий Гагарин Yuriy Gagarin | 1959 | 1961 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Металлург Бардин Metallurg Bardin | 1961 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Хирург Вишневский Khirurg Vishnevsky | 1961 | 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Химик Зелинский Khimik Zelinsky | 20 March 1961 | June 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Физик Курчатов Fizik Kurchatov | 1961 | 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Металлург Аносов Metallurg Anosov | 29 September 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Красная Пресня Krasnay Presnya | 16 December 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Трансбалт Transbalt | 29 December 1962 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Красный Октябрь Krasnyi Oktyabr | 23 May 1963 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Валентина Терешкова Valentina Nereshkova | 30 June 1963 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Равенство Ravenstvo | 30 September 1963 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Братство Bratstvo | 20 September 1962 | 29 December 1963 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Свобода Svoboda | 12 March 1964 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Академик Шиманский Akademik Shimansky | 27 June 1964 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Кремль Kreml | 28 September 1964 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |
| Парижская Коммуна Parizhskaya Kommuna | 25 июня 1964 | December 1965 / 17 December 1968 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship |
| Юный Ленинец Yunyi Leninets | 30 December 1964 | Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships | General cargo ship | |