Keel-laying ceremony held for lead icebreaking LNG carrier ordered by SCF from Zvezda for Arctic LNG 2

Bolshoy Kamen, June 17- Neftegaz.RU. A keel-laying ceremony was held at Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex, in the Russia’s Far East, for a new Arctic LNG carrier ordered by Sovcomflot (SCF Group).
This is the lead vessel in a series of 15 carriers, ordered from Zvezda, for servicing the Arctic LNG 2 project.

She is the 1^st-ever vessel of such dimensions, cargo capacity and icebreaking capabilities to be constructed at a Russian shipyard.
This lead vessel of the series is owned by SCF, while the remaining 14 ships are owned by SMART LNG, a joint venture between Sovcomflot and NOVATEK.

All vessels in the series will operate under long-term time-charter contracts with Arctic LNG 2.
Their construction is being financed by VEB.RF.
All 15 vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2023-2025.
The keel for the lead vessel has been laid in line with the contractual schedule.

This series of ice-class Arc7 vessels is designed for the year-round transportation of LNG in the challenging conditions along the Northern Sea Route, including its eastern sector.
Importantly, these vessels will have increased icebreaking capabilities and maneuverability in the ice, when compared to the 1^st generation of icebreaking LNG carriers (Christophe de Margerie series).

Each LNG carrier will be:

• 300 m long and 48.8 m wide
• will have a cargo capacity of 172,600 m³
• The propulsion system includes 3 azimuth propulsion units with a total power capacity of 45 MW

Currently, SCF has 20 large-capacity tankers ordered from Zvezda, with a total deadweight of 1.86 million tonnes and a total cost of over $5 billion.
These include 15 icebreaking LNG carriers and five LNG-fuelled tankers of various sizes, for transporting crude oil and petroleum products.


Author: Elena Alifirova