Construction Underway for Northern Sea Route LNG Tanker

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday October 6, 2014

OAO Sovcomflot (SCF) have announced in an emailed press release the official start of construction of a prototype Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier to be operated under long term time charter between SCF and JSC Yamal LNG.

A steel cutting ceremony was held last Monday at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. shipyard in South Korea in the presence of representatives from SCF, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), and Bureau Veritas.

The new tanker will have a capacity of 172,600 cubic metres and be an Arc7 ice class vessel according to RS classifications.

The Russian flagged ship will feature reinforced membrane-type tanks and be capable of breaking through a 2.1 metre-thick ice field.

The prototype vessel is intended for use in training crews of Arctic LNG tankers and practicing navigation through severe ice conditions in Arctic seas.

It will have a deadweight of 85,000 tonnes, be 300 metres long and cruise at 19.5 knots.

Mitsui OSK Lines is also said to be planning to transport LNG from the Yamal peninsula and has ordered three icebreaker LNG carriers from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.