China’s Qingdao Hyundai Shipbuilding (QHS) on August 2, 2011 launched the multi-purpose seagoing dry cargo ship "Nephrite" of DCV36 project. This is the sixth bulker built for Volga-Balt Transport Holding (VBTH), the project designer Marine Engineering Bureau said. 
The DCV36 dry bulk carrier is a seagoing ship of unlimited navigation area versus the same class vessels of projects RSD44 RSD49. The single-hold 5000DWT ship with effective length of 85 meters features safety margins, hulls thickness and main engines capacity. 
The DCV36 project vessels are designed for transportation of seaborne general and bulk cargo, including 20 and 40 -foot equivalent unit containers with height of up to 9.5 foot (including reefer containers), metal, grain, timber, coal, bulk and heavy-lift cargo, dangerous goods of 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, 9, and Appendix "B" the International Code of Safety for High Speed Craft. The vessel project was designed to the class of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping KM AUT1 Ice 3. 
The bulker is a single-deck, single-hold and single-screw motor ship of unrestricted navigation area, which has forecastle and poop, aft based deckhouse and engine room, double bottom and double sides in cargo holds area, removable grain bulkheads with bulb fore and transom aft ends, with Cargotec’s side-rolling hatch covers, with bow thruster.
Ship’s LOA - 89.96 m, calculated length - 84.89 m, beam - 14.5 m, depth - 7.5 m. Summer LWL - 6.4 m, the draft DWT – 5026 t. Cargo hold dimensions - 60 x 11.5 x 9.2 m, which allows placement of 3 tiers of 9.5-foot containers, and also provides for transportation of large-sized cargoes. Cargo holds capacity - 6230 cbm. Double bottom is designed for distributed load intensity of 14.0 t per sqm and for bucket grab usage.
Vessel's hull is design for Ice3 ice category for operation in Baltic and White Seas during whole year. Hull's theoretical forms, ice passability and hull's strength, main engine capacity fully satisfy the new requirements of Finnish-Swedish Ice Regulation.
Proceeding from results of resistance calculation methods medium-speed diesel MAK 8M25C was chosen as main engine. This diesel has maximum specification continuous capacity of 2640 kW with speed of 750 rpm. Main engine use heavy fuel oil with viscosity of 380 cSt. Autonomy is of 25 days.
The ship has accommodations for 13 people, including the crew, a pilot and trainees.
Keel-laying of the series lead ship "Amethyst" was held on Oct. 16, 2009 (launched on May 17, 2010, delivered on April 22, 2011). A VBTH team led by Oleg Firsov is overseeing the newbuilds construction.
The Customer is VBTH, majority owned by Universal Cargo Logistics Holding, consolidating a number of Russian shipping (North-Western Shipping Company, Volga Shipping, VF Tanker, etc.), stevedoring and shipping assets (Nevsky Zavod, Oka Shipyard, Borremflot, etc.).
Marine Engineering Bureau is a non-governmental design and engineering firm recognized by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping Russian River Register and Register of Shipping Ukraine.