Mammoet launches Russian battleship replica

A replica of an 18th century Russian battleship has been launched by heavy lift and transportation company Mammoet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The wooden ship weighed 600 tonnes. Mammoet used SPMT to transport it out of the shipyard’s hangar, fastening it for stability. For the lift and launch procedure, Mammoet said its engineers created a customised rigging scheme to optimise load distribution.

For the launch operation, Mammoet used its PTC 35 ring crane. The company said the crane’s reach, small footprint and high capacity allowed it to lift the strapped ship within the limited space of the shipyard and slew it 180 degrees, before launching it into the Gulf of Finland. Mammoet said it carried out the job to a tight schedule.

The replica was commissioned by Russian natural gas company Gazprom and it will be now used as a floating museum in St. Petersburg. The replica is of a battleship called the Poltava, which was part of the Russia’s Baltic Fleet and was named in honour of the country’s victory in the Battle of Poltava, which took place on 27 June 1709 under the leaership of Peter I.