Tanker Z-1 Bałtyk is far from retirement

Fuel and lubricants tanker ORP Bałtyk. Photo 2013. Tomasz Grotnik

Back in the early 80s, as many as seven tanks with fuel and water of various types carried the military banner in Poland. Currently, only two units perform such an important service to support the ships of the Polish Navy - the tanker Z-1225 of project B 8 with a displacement of 199 tons in full condition, in service since 1970, overhauled in 2013, and also almost 2,5 times a larger and, more importantly, much younger fuel and lubricants tanker ORP Bałtyk. The last unit underwent a large-scale overhaul, combined with modernization, which significantly increased its operational capabilities.

The Baltic tanker was built at the Naval shipyards. Dąbrowszczaków in Gdynia, under the designation ZP-1200 No. 1, according to project 3819, developed by the Inland Navigation Research and Design Center "Navicentrum" from Wroclaw. The launching of the unit took place on April 27, 1989, the first tests began on February 5, 1991, and the raising and christening of the flag took place on March 11, 1991. The transfer protocol was signed soon - on March 30.

The fuel and lubricants supply tanker (FCM) has a single-deck design with a three-tier aft superstructure and a single-tier bow superstructure, equipped with a diesel, diesel, twin-screw drive. The ship was designed on the basis of, among other things, the ORS classification and construction of sea vessels of 1982, the ORS non-classification rules for the equipment of sea vessels of 1980, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS-64, as amended in 1983 and the International Convention on load line 1966 .

The Zetka hull was made of two types of ship steel: St41B (strength elements) and St41A (other structural elements). It is worth mentioning that when measuring the thickness of the plating, carried out during the last modernization, it was found that these values ​​are at least 80% of the initial state, which confirms the very good condition of the hull, which will ensure many years of operation of the ship. The hull of the described ship is divided into 10 watertight compartments while maintaining single-compartment floodability. Due to the purpose of the ship, it has a double bottom almost along its entire length.

The drive consists of 2 H.Cegielski-Sulzer 8ASL25D diesel engines with a power of 1480 kW (maximum 1629 kW) each. Through single-stage gearboxes MAV-56-01, 2 adjustable propellers with a diameter of 2,6 m are set in motion, in the channels of which there are 2 partially balanced rudders. Maneuverability is enhanced by the 1.1 kW H150 bow thruster.

The auxiliary power plant includes 2 generator sets 6AL 20/24-400-50 with a capacity of 400 kVA, driven by diesel engines H.Cegielski-Sulzer 6AL 20/24 with a capacity of 415 kW each. An additional 36 kVA 41ZPM-6H125 parking unit is installed in the bow superstructure, using a 41 kW Wola-Henschel 6H118 engine.