Sovcomflot joins the Neptune Declaration
SCF Group says it signed the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, which ensures the enforcement of labour rights and supports global supply chains in the face of the restrictions imposed worldwide due to the СOVID-19 pandemic.
The document is an initiative of the Global Maritime Forum and has been signed by more than 450 major companies in the shipping, oil and gas, and other industries. The companies that signed the document commit to taking action to resolve the crew change crisis as soon as possible, involving their partners and government authorities in the process.
"The lack of timely crew changes leads to the violation of the seafarers' labour rights and creates significant safety risks due to the stress and fatigue of crew members after extended periods at sea, leading to decreased concentration and motivation. Sovcomflot seafarers must be sure that their employer, together with its partners and clients, is doing everything necessary to ensure that the crews return home on time. During 2020, Sovcomflot took all possible measures to ensure that crew changes complied with all the existing international and Russian regulations, as well as the requirements of relevant authorities, while countering the spread of coronavirus. This year, we will continue to work in this direction," said Sergey Popravko, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PAO Sovcomflot.
In the face of the pandemic, SCF Group quickly and efficiently protected the health of its employees and ensured the smooth functioning of all departments, including the fleet. Local restrictions in a number of countries and regions have definitely adjusted the crew change process. For its part, the company has done and continues to do everything possible to ensure the timely return of seafarers home. In particular, the company optimised the rotation scheme in order to change a significant percentage of the crews immediately whenever ships call at Russian ports.
Sovcomflot is taking a set of measures to monitor the health of each crew member prior to boarding the vessel, during the voyage and when going ashore. All rotating crews are allowed to go on board only after passing the coronavirus test, then the crew members are held for medical observation for two weeks and, if necessary, take a second test.
Between 95 to 100 per cent of our shore-based personnel have transferred to remote working, thanks to the timely integration of digital solutions into all core operational management processes.
PAO Sovcomflot is one of the world's leading energy shipping companies, specialising in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gas, as well as the servicing of offshore oil and gas production. As of the date of this release, the Group’s fleet comprises 146 vessels with a total deadweight of over 12.7 million tonnes, including vessels owned through joint ventures. More than 80 vessels have an ice class.
SCF is involved in servicing large oil and gas projects in Russia and around the world: Sakhalin-1; Sakhalin-2; Varandey; Prirazlomnoye; Novy Port; Yamal LNG, and Tangguh (Indonesia). The Group is headquartered in St. Petersburg, with offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, and Dubai.
SCF currently has 16 gas carriers in operation, with further 18 LNG carriers under construction. The Group has been an independent owner and operator of LNG carriers since 2006 and was the first Russian company to successfully enter this premium segment of the global shipping market. Among the key charterers of SCF Group’s gas fleet are: Gazprom; Sakhalin Energy; Shell; Yamal LNG; Sibur, and Tangguh LNG.
