The companies’ partnership also envisages digital technologies in their maritime logistics management.
The fuels include LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and methanol.
The companies said they were committed to testing promising environmentally friendly fuels on Sovcomflot’s existing tankers as part of their partnership.
Russia’s 1st LNG-bunkering vessel, the Gazprom Neft-owned Dmitry Mendeleev, is expected to be deployed in refuelling ships with natural gas.
Sovcomflot vessels ensure «continuous year-round shipments of Arctic crudes from the Prirazlomnoye and Novoportovskoye fields» and are now connected to the world’s 1st Arctic logistics management system – the Kapitan system, developed by specialists at Gazprom Neft.
This digital navigation platform has helped cut specific transportation costs by up to 12% by selecting optimum routes, saving fuel, reducing icebreaker escort costs, and reducing empty-vessel downtime.
Gazprom Neft said SCF vessels transport more than 8mn metric tons/yr of its Arctic blends every year and that the 2 are already, using digital solutions.
This new agreement will expand their work on technology.
«Added to which, our plans to use LNG and other environmentally friendly fuels in refuelling vessels is going to ensure still greater environmental friendliness in Arctic shipping».
Author: Joseph Murphy
