Steel cutting ceremony for new Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker at Zvezda shipyard

Bolshoy Kamen, January 20 - Neftegaz.RU.NOVATEK announced that a steel cutting ceremony took place on January 19 at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex in the Russian Far East for a new Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker to transport LNG from NOVATEK’s Arctic LNG 2 project, implemented jointly with international partners TOTAL, CNPC, CNOOC, Mitsui and JOGMEC.

The new Arc7 ice-class tanker was ordered by SMART LNG, a joint venture between NOVATEK and Sovcomflot. Arctic LNG 2 and SMART LNG had previously signed charter agreements for 14 similar Arc7 LNG carriers to be built at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex.

Evgeniy Ambrosov, NOVATEK’s Director for Marine Operations, Shipping and Logistics said:

• The construction of the fleet of next generation Arctic ice-class gas carriers at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex for Arctic LNG 2 will make it possible to localize technologies for the construction of high-tonnage and high-tech vessels in Russia
• All Arc7 ice-class LNG carriers ordered by SMART LNG at Zvezda will be registered under the Russian flag and will be fully equipped by Russian crews
• To properly train the Arctic crews, it is now necessary to use the full potential of the Russian educational system, incl. the country's largest maritime educational Center – Maritime State University named after Admiral Nevelskoy in Vladivostok

The new Arc7 ice-class tankers are designed to ensure year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route, including its Eastern part, and will have increased icebreaking and maneuvering characteristics as compared to the previous type of Arctic tankers currently used by the Yamal LNG project.