21.11.2022

The Aluminium Association became a partner of the Sochi Resort and Investment Forum (SKIF-2022). The topic of the forum is titled The Future of Coastal Cities. Marinas as a Yachting Infrastructure. The participants discussed the future of yacht tourism in the context of the growing tourist flow to the Russian seaside. How to make yachting accessible to the masses in the country, how many marinas need to be built, how they can influence the investment attractiveness of the cities and what kind of legal framework is required: all these issues were discussed at the forum.

For the first time, investors, developers, marina builders and operators, producers of yachts and marine equipment, as well as representatives of government, business, science, NGOs, hoteliers, architects, designers and real estage agents, specialists from various fields related to the integrated development of the Azov/Black Sea coast, gathered together on one platform. The Aluminium Association was represented at the forum by Viktor Ivanenko and Alexander Volokitin, experts in shipbuilding and construction. As part of the business programme, they spoke about advanced aluminium alloy solutions for shipbuilding and yachting infrastructure.

Domestic producers offer a wide range of aluminium products for the construction of advanced hotels, embankments and beaches on the Azov/Black Sea coast, as well as other regions and construction sites. Aluminium alloys are widely used in the construction of advanced ships, including yachts.

As Alexander Volokitin pointed out in his speech, the compliance of the materials used with environmental and energy efficiency criteria plays a special role in the design and construction of advanced facilities. Aluminium and aluminium-based alloys can meet these criteria. High strength, low weight, corrosion resistance even in aggressive wet and marine environments, low total cost of ownership over the entire life cycle of the structure (over 50 years) as compared to structures made of other materials, full recyclability and reusability are the characteristics that make aluminium an attractive and often indispensable material in the construction and development of the coastal infrastructure. For these purposes, aluminium companies in Russia offer, among others, modular buildings and glamping huts, translucent structures, pergolas and canopies, lighting poles, lighting fixtures and flagpoles, as well as furniture for cafés, restaurants and embankments.

Viktor Ivanenko said that the full development of the yachting infrastructure in Russia and the creation of intensive sailing zones required multiplying the number of yachts, advanced high-speed and passenger vessels, including those made using aluminium alloys. The forum’s participants were shown state-of-the-art technology solutions and examples of using aluminium alloys in shipbuilding, developed and implemented by the members of the Aluminium Association. For example, a new aluminium-scandium alloy, 1581, with improved strength and performance characteristics has been introduced. The use of this alloy will make it possible to make products (boats and yachts) of the required strength, but with a perceptible reduction in the weight of the entire structure. The lower weight, in turn, allows for higher speeds, earlier gliding and lower energy consumption. The reduced fuel consumption is good for the environment, which is relevant in coastal areas.

The forum also demonstrated a new solution for Russia: mooring systems for yachts and motorboats made of aluminium alloys. Their production is fully located in Russia, and examples of their use can be seen at the Museum of the World Ocean (Kaliningrad) and at the Heidekrug yachting marina in Vzmorie, Kaliningrad Region. The advantages of such systems include the highest possible strength-to-weight ratio, easy assembly and disassembly, no galvanic coupling between the aluminium boat and the berth, a life span of at least 30 years, high corrosion resistance and high aesthetic properties. Today, aluminium mooring systems are common on the Atlantic side of the European coast, in the Mediterranean as well as in the Baltic. The implementation of the developments, products and materials presented by Aluminium Association experts at SKIF-2022 will successfully solve the problem so formulated by the forum organisers in the person of Olga Shebzukhova: ‘In our country, outdoor enthusiasts are trying to find a way to do yachting at home. And this growing demand is simply bound to spur the development of the yachting infrastructure in Russia.’