April 26 2023
The terms for the construction of gas carriers commissioned by Sovcomflot for the Arctic LNG 2 project have been shifted by 1 year, deliveries will begin in 2024. This was announced by the company’s CEO Igor Tonkovidov, RIA Novosti reports.
Initially, the construction of the lead tanker was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023, but in September 2022, the head of NOVATEK, Leonid Mikhelson, announced that this would happen at the end of 2023, when the first line of the Arctic LNG 2 plant would be launched. It was assumed that 6-7 tankers would be received by the end of 2024.
Currently, the Zvezda shipbuilding complex in Primorsky Krai is building 15 new generation gas carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project. The lead vessel will be delivered to Sovcomflot and SMART LNG LLC, a joint venture between Sovcomflot and NOVATEK will receive the remaining 14 vessels.
Contracts for the construction of 15 Arctic LNG carriers of the Arc7 ice class, designed to transport cargo from the Arctic LNG 2 plant, were signed in December 2019-July 2020. The shipyard started cutting metal for the lead vessel of the series in November 2020.
The vessels of the new series are designed for year-round transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), including its eastern sector. The tankers will have higher ice-breaking capacity and maneuverability compared to the first generation of Arctic LNG carriers. The length of the gas carriers of the new series will be 300 m, width – 48.8 m, cargo capacity – 172.6 thousand cubic meters. m. The propulsion system includes three rudder propellers with a total capacity of 45 MW.
Arctic LNG 2 (Yamal) is NOVATEK’s flagship project, consisting of three production lines. It provides for the construction of three technological lines for the production of LNG with a total capacity of 19.8 million tons per year and stable gas condensate up to 1.6 million tons per year. The project is being implemented in an innovative construction concept using gravity foundations (GBS). Previously, the implementation of the project faced significant delays. According to the company, the first production line will open no earlier than the end of 2023, that is, a year behind schedule.
Sovcomflot Group is the largest shipping company in Russia, a leader in the maritime transportation of oil, petroleum products and liquefied gas, as well as servicing offshore hydrocarbon production. The company specializes in operations in difficult climatic and ice conditions. The share of Sovcomflot in energy exports from Russian ports in 2022 was 14%.
Source: https://portnews.ru/news/346582/