MYKOLAYIV, UKRAINE — Nibulon announced on Feb. 12 the launch of two river-sea barges. The launch marked the completion of construction of 16 non-self-propelled vessels that was signed by the company and OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean” in March 2009, the company said. Under the terms of a new contract between Nibulon and OJSC, it is expected the next eight non-self-propelled vessels to be launched in April 2010. Nibulon’s fleet will then consist of 24 vessels, the company said. Oleksiy Opanasovych Vadaturskyy, general director of Nibulon, described the fleet as a true “elevator on water” with a deadweight of 72,000 tonnes. “Such capacity of grain you can put in these non-self-propelled vessels at the same time, storage condition of agricultural products are identical to elevator ones,” Vadaturskyy said. “During construction of these vessels, yard used as much metal as it is used for Panamax type, and today it equals launching of the vessel of Panamax type with deadweight of 70,000 tonnes of grain like the famous vessel Preventer.”  Magazine `World Grain` (World-Grain.com, February 18, 2010)